Misguidance Councilor
by CSIalchemist
Summary: A suicide is called into question when Horatio and the gang discover evidence that the victim might have been attacked before she died. What will happen when Dani learns that the suspect might also be targeting members of Horatio's team? RXR
1. Murder or Suicide?

**Finally! A new idea! Since _Dani Miami_ is the most reviewed story I've ever written, I've decided to branch it off from the CSI Phantom series. **

**A new adventure is waiting for our favorite ghost-girl in Miami! Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Misguidance Councilor**

**Chapter 1**

**Murder or Suicide?**

She was sobbing uncontrollably as she ran through every shortcut in downtown Miami. Why was this happening to her? Why was there a puma chasing after her through the streets of Miami? First she was diagnosed with depression now this!

She stumbled upon the beach and continued to running. She screamed and cried for help. Surely there must be a lifeguard that still hasn't gone home for the day yet. She hid underneath a pier and waited.

The air suddenly dropped by a few degrees. The weather forecast didn't predict a cold front. The hair on the back of her neck started to prickle. Sensing a presence, she turned around and saw an evil shadow-like being grinning evilly as it advanced toward her.

"What do you want from me?" she wailed. "Why are you chasing me?"

"Don't worry, sweetie," the shadow creature said feigning concern. "This will only hurt a little."

The girl backed away from the creature. She heard a growl coming from behind her. She whimpered as she turned around. Her eyes met with the puma that was chasing her. She screamed as the animal and the creature advanced toward her.

* * *

The following morning, two members of community service were strolling the beach picking up trash.

"I'm tellin' ya, Doug! Ratings for American Idol have gone downhill ever since Simon left. It was bad when Paula left but Simon just made it worse!"

"Then how come you were watching it a few months ago?"

"I only watch the auditions for humor's sake!" Doug exclaimed.

"See, this is why I only stick with Family Guy and the Simpsons. It's not every season that a character leaves the show."

"You need to expand from the cartoons, Randy," said Doug.

Randy then noticed feet dangling from the pier. It was still pretty early for people to be visiting the pier. All the shops and boutiques lining the pier were still closed. Hopefully it's some random person who passed out drunk. Then again, Spring Break isn't for a couple of weeks…

"Hey, Doug, you those feet dangling from above?" Randy pointed out.

Doug looked up and furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah. Who is hanging out at the pier at this hour? I don't think my kids have even left for school yet." They walked out from under the pier and saw to their horror a girl dangling on a rope that was tied to the railing. It was quite clear that the girl was dead.

"Holy Mother of God," Randy gasped.

* * *

Horatio Caine stepped onto the beach and approached Dr. Tom Loman who was examining the body. The body was carefully lowered down to the beach and onto a gurney.

"Hard to tell if this was a murder or a suicide," Tom noted.

"What do you mean?" Horatio asked as he took off his sunglasses.

"Normally for suicides by hanging, the only bruising visible would be on the neck." He lifted her shirt up a little to expose her stomach. Several bruises and scratch marks were visible all over her torso. "The bruises on her neck were pre-mortem as well as these bruises and scratches." He pointed to some of the bigger scratches. "Although, I think it's safe to say that, judging by the length and depth of these scratch marks, that these were not made by a person. I'm thinking animal."

"An animal?" Horatio asked bemused.

"Hard to believe, I know," said Tom, "but no human being I know is able to make scratches this deep."

Horatio noticed that something was off about this victim. Something wasn't right with these scratch marks; he just couldn't put his finger on it. But right now there was something bigger he had to figure out.

A bald gruff man approached the duo (or trio if you include the DB). "Found her purse half-buried underneath the pier," said Detective Frank Tripp. "Girl's name is Holly Seabrook, eighteen years old, goes to Lenore High School. She's been living with her relatives for the past two years."

"Inform the parents?" asked Horatio as he looked out into the ocean.

"Yeah. They're coming down later to make a positive ID," said the Texan. "I gotta say this is the fourth Lenore suicide. There have been three others this whole school year. Too weird to be a coincidence if you ask me."

Horatio raised his eyebrows at this information. "Three suicides this past year?"

"Four now and counting," said Frank. "First one was reported in September. Makes me wonder what's going on at that school."

CSI Ryan Wolfe then approached the three men. "H, you might want to see this."

Horatio nodded. He excused himself and followed the shortest member of his team. An examination table was set up to go through and label evidence that the CSI's found. On it was the rope used for the suicide, the victim's purse and its contents.

Ryan picked up the victim's cell phone with his latex gloved hands. He turned it on and went to show the pictures saved on it. He went through them till he found the one that he was looking for.

"Does the name Seabrook ring a bell?" Ryan asked Horatio.

The redheaded lieutenant thought about it for a moment. Seabrook…where has he heard that name before? "Refresh my memory, Mr. Wolfe."

Wolfe showed Horatio the phone. A picture of the victim, Holly, was displayed on the screen. The girl was with another girl who was slightly younger than her. Holly had dark brown hair with multicolored highlights in her hair. Her eyes were sky blue. The girl who was with her in the picture had black hair and her eyes were the same shade of blue. The title of the picture read: _Fourth of July with cousin Gwen_.

"Gwen Seabrook?" Horatio asked.

"Wasn't she kidnapped earlier this year?" asked Frank. "Her and three other girls?"

Now it was coming back. Gwen and three other girls were abducted by an escaped convict named Freakshow and hid them in the Everglades. One escaped but had an asthma attack and died in the Glades. Luckily, a very unusual girl was also found with her. With her help, Horatio and the team found the other girls and arrested Freakshow. It was during this investigation that this unusual girl turned out to be a half-ghost named Dani Phantom. She was currently staying with Horatio's sister-in-law, Yelina Salas. Gwen and the other girls befriended Dani and persuaded her to stay in Miami for safety purposes.

"Gwen Seabrook might know something about Holly," Horatio commented.

"Think she might know something about her cousin's suicide?" asked Frank.

"She might. I'll go to her school and ask," Horatio murmured. "Eric!" he called.

A Cuban-American man approached the group. "What's going on, H?"

"Take Walter and go to Lenore High School. Find out everything you can about Holly Seabrook," Horatio ordered.

"You got it, H," said Eric Delko.

"So how did our vic go from being mauled by an animal to being hanged from the railing of the pier?" Horatio asked aloud.

Frank shrugged. "Maybe she provoked an animal into attacking her and then finished herself off?"

"Suicide by mauling and hanging?" suggested a perplexed Ryan.

Horatio put on his sunglasses. "This case is going to be a pain in the neck."

* * *

**YYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!**

**I've always wanted to do that! :3**

**Where are my manners? I know it's a little late but thank you, Zii Raevyn, for giving me the idea of writing a story about Dani Phantom (I'm referring to _Dani Miami_). That idea turned into an awesome story and it's all thanks to you and your koalas!**

**I know this chapter is short but be patient! They will get longer!**


	2. New Life in Miami

**Yes! I'm glad everyone is following this story! I gave some of my OC's their own backgrounds for good measure. Danielle has officially entered the story!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**New Life in Miami**

"Bye, Yelina!" Danielle Masters called, as she was about to leave the house.

"Are you walking, riding or flying?" asked Yelina Salas from over her newspaper.

"Flying!"

"Make sure no one sees you," reminded Yelina.

Danielle nodded. A ring of light appeared around her waist. As it split in two, Danielle's raven-black hair that was tied in a ponytail turned snow-white and her icy blue eyes became neon green. A black and white outfit complete with a grey DP insignia replaced her red hat and blue sneakers, red shorts, and white shirt (with a blue oval on it). Danielle Masters became Dani Phantom.

Ever since her "cousin" Danny Phantom stabilized her, Dani had been traveling around the country. However, due to hunger and fatigue, she crash-landed into the Everglades where she soon met Horatio and the rest of the CSI's. With her help as Dani, they were able to rescue three kidnapped girls whom Dani later befriended. As of now, only Horatio's team and Danielle's new friends are the only ones in Miami who know Danielle's real identity.

Dani phased out of the house and flew to Nevermore Middle School where her friends were eagerly waiting for her. School there was similar to Danny Fenton's life at Casper High School. There were cliques, jocks, bullies, everything a typical public school needs. While Danny dealt with getting beat up by jocks, Danielle dealt with cliques and bullies of the emotional kind.

Her friends Luna Rivera, Leila Saturn and Gwen Seabrook were waiting for her underneath a tree on the edge of campus. When the three of them felt the temperature drop a little, they knew their ghostly friend was here.

After looking around to make sure no one was looking, Leila called to Dani, "Coast is clear, Dani! You can come out!"

"Awesome!" Dani became visible and changed back into Danielle. She jumped out of the tree and caught up to her friends. All three of them had black hair and blue eyes, two common traits they all shared with Danielle that made them kidnapping victims. Luckily none of them were harmed, physically. They were a little traumatized but they quickly recovered after a few weeks of therapy.

Luna was the oldest, thirteen years old. The Hispanic girl was often the target of bullies due to her poor background. Her mother was a nurse and her father and uncle were in prison because of their involvement with the Mala Noche gang **(no involvement with Horatio's cases, FYI)**. She hasn't spoken to her father since he was arrested.

Leila was twelve years old. Her cynical attitude was remarkably similar to Danny Fenton's friend, Sam. A big 'Buffy' fan, the girl agreed to keep Danielle's secret like the characters of her favorite TV program. Danielle quickly learned that Leila had a tendency to get into fights at school. Danielle, Luna and Gwen have been doing everything in their power to keep her temper under control.

Gwen was eleven years old and was in sixth grade while the others were in seventh. Often hyper and easily distracted by anything, Gwen was often seen as a flake. This makes her a target for bullies due to her ADHD.

Gwen, Leila and Luna know that they're targets for bullies but they don't let that get to them since they were friends with a superhero…or a clone of a superhero. Ever since the three girls befriended Danielle, they started their own paranormal investigation agency. But really they just explored old abandoned places all over Miami. The downside of it was that they had to stake them out in broad daylight so they got little to no action. None of them were allowed to wander the city after dark for obvious reasons.

"So where are we going to explore this time?" asked Danielle.

"There's an old abandoned club that once caught on fire a few years ago," Gwen remarked. "A woman was killed there. Maybe her ghost still haunts it."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "We can't. Remember what Officer Delko said?"

"'Don't explore places where the entry age is over eighteen'," Leila drawled like she's heard it one too many times.

"I know where an old abandoned warehouse is," said Luna.

"Luna, we've explored dozens of warehouses all over Miami," Danielle complained.

"This one was once one of the Mala Nache gang's hideouts," Luna added.

"You think there might be leftover weapons there?" asked an intrigued Leila.

Luna shrugged. "Maybe. If we don't find ghosts, maybe there's something that the Mala Noche left behind."

"I'm in."

"How do you know so much about the Mala Noche?" asked Danielle. She's heard about the Mala Noche but she doesn't know what they were infamous for. All she knew was that they were responsible for Raymond Caine, Sr.'s death **(she never asked H about Marisol. Everyone knows that he doesn't like to talk about it)**.

"My father was once a member of the Mala Noche," Luna explained bitterly. "I once saw him going into a warehouse while I was riding my bike through the neighborhood. I don't know if the police ever raided it or not."

"Then why don't you tell me where exactly and I'll see," a voice offered. The girls jumped and saw Horatio approaching them.

Danielle's face lit up. "Horatio! Good morning!" She ran over and embraced him. Although she didn't trust adults at first, she quickly warmed up to the redhead and his friends when they rescued her from the Everglades and promised to keep her identity a secret. Danielle was also very close to CSI Natalia Boa Vista, the first adult to actually gain the girl's trust.

"Why aren't you girls in class?" Horatio asked.

"The first bell doesn't ring for another ten minutes," Luna explained. "When the first bell rings, it's actually a five minute warning for students to get to class."

"I see. Miss Seabrook, may I have a moment of your time, please?"

"Uh, sure?" Gwen answered not knowing what he wanted to talk to her about.

"Alone."

Horatio and Gwen stepped away from the others for a few minutes. From what Danielle, Leila and Luna can make out, it looked like Horatio just gave the eleven-year-old bad news. Especially since Gwen just suddenly embraced the redhead and broke down into tears.

Horatio and Gwen walked back over to the other girls.

"Gwen?"

"What's wrong?"

"Why are you crying?"

Horatio held up a hand to silence them. "Ladies, I'm afraid that Gwen will have to be excused for the day."

"Why? What's going on?" asked an irritated Leila.

"There's been…a loss in her family," Horatio said slowly.

Gwen's friends embraced her and offered their condolences. Danielle, however, sensed that there was something more to this than what Horatio was telling them. _'Horatio is hiding something from us and he knows it. There's more to this, I know it!'_

Horatio excused himself and led Gwen to the school building so she could call her mother and tell her the bad news.

* * *

Lenore High School. Not the nicest school Eric Delko and Walter Simmons have been to. As they walked through the hallways, they began to wonder why they've never heard of this school. It obviously had a bad reputation. Litter was all over the floors, graffiti was written on some lockers, and the place just smelled weird.

"Ever heard of this place?" Walter asked Eric rather nervously.

"Not really," Eric answered. "I might have heard about this place once or twice when I was in high school."

"I didn't think schools like this existed," said Walter. "I never thought public schools could be _this_ scary!"

Eric chuckled. "I think that's what everyone thinks of high school."

They entered the main office and told the principal the bad news about one of his students. To both CSI's surprise, the principal wasn't that shocked.

"Holly Seabrook was… a problem child," the principal explained. "She constantly got in fights, has been caught _repeatedly_ in a… compromising position with some of her male classmates, and we once found marijuana in her locker."

"So why not expel her?" asked Eric.

"Her family begged us to keep her in. If she got in trouble, she would be suspended or serve detention. The school board made a deal with her relatives. Holly would perform community service if she got in trouble at school that involved the police.

"She comes from a difficult past. Her mother left her at a young age. Her father is constantly away on business. He even sent her to live with relatives to get her act together."

"Did she?" asked Walter.

The principal sighed. "Not really. Well, things did seem to be looking up for her earlier this year after her eleven-year-old cousin was abducted. When you found her, things were improving for Holly. I mean, she still got in trouble but her grades started going up a little so I assumed that things were turning around for her."

"Oh, I believe that little improvement was launched by what I call a 'guilt complex'," a voice piped up. Eric and Walter turned to see a woman with red hair styled to look like horns standing in the doorway. She wore a red dress and matching red high-heel shoes. Next to her was a man with the height of a midget. He had grey hair with a matching grey mustache and wore a black suit.

"Penelope. I was just about to mention you to these fine gentlemen," said the principal. "Meet Penelope Spectra, one of our guidance councilors, and her assistant Bertrand. Penny, meet CSI Delko and CSI Simmons."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Spectra said cheerfully shaking both men's hands. Bertrand just sniffed. "May I ask what brings you here to this humble establishment?"

"One of the students died under mysterious circumstances," Eric explained.

"Oh? Which one?"

"Holly Seabrook."

Spectra gasped. "Holly? Hellish Holly?"

Walter grimaced. "'Hellish Holly'?"

"One of Holly's many nicknames around the school," the principal explained.

Eric cleared his throat. "So, I take it that you're Holly's guidance councilor?"

"I am…or now I was," Spectra corrected herself. "That poor girl was so depressed. I saw so many signs. Her home life was a wreck!"

"Actually, she's been living with relatives for the past two years," Walter corrected her. "We've heard that things might have been looking up for her."

"Oh, yes. I heard about what happened to her poor cousin," said Spectra. "It's a miracle that you found her alive along with those other girls."

"That's what we do," Eric said confidently. Something about this woman was bugging him and he didn't like it. She seemed _way_ too perky.

The principal the spoke up again. "If you'd like, I could set up a room in the library where you could question some of Holly's friends."

"Thanks," said Eric.

"If you'd follow me. Penelope, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time!" She called. As soon as all three men left the room, her demeanor changed completely. "Ugh! I thought they'd never leave!" she complained.

"Maybe we should change schools," Bertrand suggested. "We were pretty sloppy with that girl. And with the police breathing down our necks, finding another victim will be difficult."

Spectra grinned. "I don't know, Bertrand. Those two CSI's had a faint scent of misery, especially the skinny one. I can tell that there are loads of painful memories that are just waiting to be fed off of!"

Bertrand didn't look convinced. "At their age? We target teenagers, not fully grown men!"

"I'm aware of that," Spectra sang. "But I don't want their misery to improve my looks. I want their misery to gain the upper hand with them. Imagine the skills they carry in the field. We get their skills through their misery and we take control! All I have to do is make them feel like they didn't use their skills properly to save a life or something along those lines."

Bertrand smiled an evil grin. "Imagine using their skills against the Ghost Boy! He'll be no match for us!"

Spectra returned that evil grin. "Now, you're getting it."

* * *

**Sweet! I'm loving this! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or CSI Miami! I only own this story and the OCs.  
**

**Anyone make the connections with the schools yet? I'm trying to keep the ghostly, scary theme going in the stories like on the show!  
**

**Keep those reviews coming people!  
**


	3. Suspicions

**I'm glad ya'll are loving this story! I've included a Dash Baxter-like character in this chapter for laughs. You'll like how Dani and her friends deal with her.  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Suspicions**

Danielle only paid half-attention to her classes. Something about Gwen's cousin's death was bugging her. She's never heard of someone dying under mysterious circumstances. _'I need to watch more crime documentaries. I've never heard of something like this before.'_ Leila and Luna can tell that something was bugging her. They decided to confront her at lunch.

"Okay, DP, spill! Something's been bugging you since this morning," said Leila.

"Something about this morning has been bugging me," Danielle mumbled.

"If you're talking about math class this morning, you're not the only one who noticed that Mr. Miles's fly was down," Leila muttered.

"She's talking about Lieutenant Caine's visit this morning," Luna remarked rolling her eyes.

"Oh."

"Who dies under mysterious circumstances?" Danielle asked. "I've never heard of something like that before."

Her two friends were about to object when they remembered that Danielle was younger than she appeared. She may look like a twelve-year-old but she's really only over a year old. She was a product of human cloning thanks to her "father" Vlad Masters. Danielle was a clone of Danny Phantom, which was how she had ghost powers in the first place **(we all know the story of how Dani came to be. I'm not going to repeat it)**.

"I've heard of some deaths that are ruled as suspicious but I don't know anything more than that," said Luna.

"You're thinking that maybe the cousin's ghost is somewhere in Miami?" Leila asked with a hopeful glint in her eye.

Danielle shrugged. "It's possible. Although I haven't seen that many ghosts since the Everglades."

"You think Speedy might know something about this?" Luna asked.

"We could ask him."

Danielle then felt someone take her hat off of her head. "Hey! Alexis! Give me back my hat!"

A girl with curly blonde hair and blue eyes smirked. "You mean this fashion don't? This thing would look better on a hobo, Misters," she taunted.

"It's MASTERS! Do you need a hearing aid or something?" Danielle retorted. This girl looked remarkably like Danny Fenton's bully, Dash Baxter.

"You better come up with better comebacks than that," Alexis warned. "I know a lot of worse names I could call you."

"I know a lot of names I could call you that could get us both suspended," Leila warned.

Luna tried to keep Leila in her seat. "Remember your temper, Leila! You don't need another detention."

"Just give me back my hat before I get a teacher," Danielle threatened. She didn't want to be a snitch but she was running out of non-violent options. She promised Yelina that she wouldn't cause trouble at school with or without her powers.

"So now you're going to squeal?" Alexis asked. "How childish!"

"Not as childish as what you're doing right now!" Danielle retorted.

Leila rolled her eyes. "She's just picking on us because she doesn't get enough attention at home."

Alexis glared at Leila. "At least I have more money than you and your lower-class friends."

Leila had enough. She flicked at spoonful of chocolate pudding on the blonde's blouse. She screamed and dropped Danielle's hat.

Leila smirked at her. "From the lower class with love."

Alexis glared at them and ran off to the bathroom muttering a rainbow of profanities. Danielle put her hat back on and smiled at her friends.

"Thanks."

"I thought it was high time someone stood up for the lower and middle class," Leila said proudly.

* * *

When Penelope Spectra and the principal said that Holly Seabrook had a bad reputation at Lenore High School, they weren't kidding. Every student had something to say about her.

"She's a slut!"

"Everyone's afraid of her! Even the football team!"

"She gave the quarterback a black-eye."

"Is she related to Charles Manson?"

After spending most of the morning hearing nothing but negative comments about the deceased, Eric and Walter left the school. After chasing away some vandals, the two drove off.

"Well, that was fun," Walter said sarcastically.

"I think it's quite obvious that no one liked her at that school," said Eric.

"I talked to some of the teachers. None of them liked her," Walter stated. "Although they were impressed that her grades were improving a little, she still got in trouble a lot. In fact, her grades started to plummet again this past month. No one knows why."

Eric furrowed his eyebrows. "They started to plummet again? What happened?"

"Not sure. She got more aggressive," said Walter. "She once sent a student to the Emergency Room."

"Yikes! Wonder what pissed her off?"

"Not sure."

Eric gripped his chin deep in thought. "You think that guidance councilor knows anything?"

Walter snorted. "You mean that peppy redhead and her dwarf buddy?"

"Yeah. Something's not right about her," Eric said grimly.

"How so?"

"I didn't detect any signs of remorse. The principal seemed shocked about it but not Spectra. All the other members of the faculty were despondent but Spectra acted like nothing ever happened."

Walter paused for a moment. Now that he thought about it, Spectra did seem a little perky for someone who just learned that a student died. As for her little assistant, no emotion whatsoever. It was like he was a robot.

"I guess she was a little cheery for a guidance councilor who just learned that one of her students just passed away," Walter remarked.

"Better keep an eye on her," said Eric.

* * *

Horatio was kind enough to drive Gwen home to tell her family the bad news. After going through the routine questions with Gwen's parents, the redhead focused his attention on the girl. He sat down at the kitchen table across from Gwen who was nibbling on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Gwen? Is it alright if I ask you a few questions about Holly?" Horatio asked gently. This was a technique he often used with kids who have gone through something traumatic. It came easily to Horatio since he himself has been though a nightmare of a childhood.

Gwen looked up and nodded.

"Alright," Horatio started, "What can you tell me about Holly?"

"She knew how to fight," Gwen answered. "She'd beat up anyone who'd pick on me at the park when I was little."

"So, Holly liked to fight?"

"A lot. She told me that she got picked on a lot when she was little because her mom left her and Uncle Pete," Gwen explained. "I guess she couldn't take the teasing anymore and decided to fight back."

Horatio nodded. Sounded like Holly was a vigilante of some kind. "Did she get into fights at school?"

"Almost everyday. I know that she caused a lot of trouble but she's really nice once you got to know her. She didn't do drugs or anything like that! She said that everyone picked on her because she liked stuff girls her age didn't like."

"Like what?"

"Most girls like watching 'Teen Mom' or 'America's Next Top Model'. Holly liked to watch wrestling, boxing, Spongebob, and those crappy low-budget movies that were made in the 50s."

"So her classmates made fun of her because she was different?" Horatio asked.

Gwen nodded. Horatio thought carefully as he took all of this information in. It sounded like Holly was a softie underneath that bad girl exterior. She seemed to be nice to strangers in need and to Gwen.

"Did Holly have any friends?" he asked curiously.

Gwen shrugged. "Not that I know of. She never invited anyone over and she never talked about anyone from school," she paused a moment. "But she did talk a lot about her 'bitch of a guidance councilor'," she said as she made air-quotes.

Horatio furrowed his eyebrows. "She didn't like her guidance councilor?"

Gwen shook her head. "Not one bit. She was convinced that she was killing some other kids. She didn't know how the guidance councilor did it but she knew that she was behind it."

Now that just raised even more questions! "Are you saying that Holly suspected that her guidance councilor was murdering her students?"

"Yeah. You know those suicides that have been happening this past year? Holly was positive that that lady actually killed them," Gwen said; her excitement was beginning to rise like something just clicked in her head.

"What is her guidance councilor's name?" asked Horatio.

"Ms. Spectra, I think. I don't know her first name."

"Okay. What made Holly think that Ms. Spectra was killing these students?" Horatio asked.

"Because whenever Holly has to do cleaning duty in the front office as punishment, she would see one of those kids in Ms. Spectra's office," Gwen explained. "And then the next day, the kid would look drained, tired and depressed."

So Holly must have seen something that she wasn't supposed to see and that might have led to her death. Horatio was right. Holly was a sort of vigilante.

He thanked Gwen and her family and left. He got into his Hummer and dialed his cell phone. "Miss Boa Vista? Could you call Lenore High School and have them send a Ms. Spectra in? I think we might have found our first suspect...yes, I believe that this suicide has become a homicide."

* * *

**Am I great or what? Makes you wonder what will happen when Spectra is brought in!**

**Dani and friends will be doing their own investigating next.  
**


	4. Paranormal Investigators

**Marvelous! Another awesome chapter! Please keep those reviews coming!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Paranormal Investigators**

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Danielle, Luna and Leila rushed to the cemetery to talk to the only ghost who could shed some light about this mystery: Detective Tim Speedle.

Speed used to be on Horatio's team years ago. He was pretty cynical for a detective, but he always got the job done. His one flaw: poor gun maintenance. Speed was killed during a jewelry store robbery because he didn't clean his gun. Several weeks after Speed's death, Horatio hired Ryan Wolfe due to the fact that he always cleaned his gun.

"Do you think Speedy will give us an idea on Gwen's cousin's suicide?" asked Luna.

"He should be," said Danielle as the three girls entered the graveyard. "I'm sure he's dealt with suspicious deaths before."

"But what if this really is a suicide?" asked a skeptical Leila. "Then we'll be back to square one, which equals zero cases for us."

Before Danielle could come up with a clever comeback, her ghost sense went off. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she jumped behind a tombstone and changed into Dani Phantom.

"We seriously need to get ghost hunting weapons of our own," Leila muttered to Luna.

A rugged ghost appeared in front of the girls. "Weren't there four of you before?"

Dani smiled. "Hi Speedy! Gwen couldn't make it. She, um, had a family emergency."

Speed folded his arms. "There was a death in her family?" he guessed.

Luna was astonished. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Why else is Dani here? You girls don't come here for a casual visit."

Leila leaned towards Luna. "He makes an excellent point."

Speed dusted off some pollen from his tombstone and sat on it. "So, how can I help you?"

"Horatio came to see us this morning," Dani started. She then explained what happened to Gwen's cousin and her suspicions about it.

Speed tapped his chin as he thought about it. "Mysterious circumstances, huh? Maybe you should talk to Horatio about it."

"I don't think Lieutenant Caine would want a group of kids to butt into a possible murder investigation," Luna stated.

"We'll just use a Visitor's Pass to get in," Leila said.

"If you think Gwen's cousin's death is really a ghost-related murder, look for any hints that a ghost did it," said Speed.

"Like what?" asked Luna.

"He means look for ectoplasm," Dani explained. "If there are any trace of the stuff then a ghost is somehow connected to the cousin's death."

"When did you learn so much about forensics?" Speed teased.

"I've been watching crime dramas for the past few months," Dani explained. "I've been learning a lot about it."

"Well if you can't get into NASA, I'll put you down for CSI," Speed muttered.

"Hold on," Leila stepped in. "By 'ectoplasm' you mean that glowing green stuff that's in Dani's blood?"

"Yeah," Speed answered.

Leila shivered. "Ugh! It still grosses me out just thinking about it – no offense, Dani."

Dani shrugged. "None taken."

"Alright," Speed said. "Head over to the crime lab and ask for someone from Horatio's team. Hopefully you'll find out more about your DB. Good luck." With that, Speed disappeared.

"Well, I guess we're going to the crime lab," Luna said.

"I can give you a lift," said Dani.

Leila got excited. "I like the sound of that! I'm in!"

Dani grabbed each of her friends' hands and turned them invisible. They yelped in surprise.

"This is so cool!" Leila exclaimed.

"I feel tingly all over!" said Luna.

Dani giggled. "You'll get used to it eventually."

She lifted her friends from the ground and flew towards the Miami-Dade Crime Lab.

* * *

Ryan Wolfe entered the morgue to see, to his chagrin, Dr. Loman hovering over the body of Holly Seabrook who was cut wide open.

"Hey Tom!" Ryan greeted. "How's it going with Holly Seabrook?"

"This is truly puzzling," Tom remarked. "There is a combination of scratch marks on this girl. Both animal and…something else."

"Something else?"

Tom shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it. It looks human but at the same time, it's not."

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you saying? That a monkey killed this girl?"

Tom frowned at Ryan's little joke. "Since when do monkeys have claws? Some of these scratches are from an animal, some of them are from something that is not human yet has claws."

"Hmmm… that doesn't make sense," said Ryan. "I can't think of anything that has claws and yet not human. Maybe someone who filed his fingernails enough to make them look like claws?"

"It's possible," Tom answered. "It gets even more interesting. Take a closer look at some of these scratches." Ryan leaned in to take a closer look. "Notice that the ridges of the scratch marks are faintly glowing. Look familiar?"

Ryan squinted. "Some of them _are_ glowing. Is that ectoplasm?"

"I believe it is," Tom confirmed. "But that isn't what killed her. COD was asphyxiation due to hanging."

Ryan was taken aback at that. "So she hanged herself?"

"I ran several tests on her and I've discovered that she was unconscious when she was given the noose," Tom explained. "Her entire body showed signs of physical exhaustion. It's like the strength was literally drained from her body."

Ryan held back a snort. "You make sound like she's been attacked by a vampire!"

"I'm saying that she was attacked by a ghost! How else could this ectoplasm get into her system? I'm thinking that the ghost drained poor Holly's strength to the point where she can't even stand and then hanged her," Tom hypothesized.

Ryan thanked Tom and left the morgue. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Horatio's number. "H? I think you were onto something only this isn't a regular homicide. It's a paranormal one."

* * *

Spectra and Bertrand were not expecting to go to the Miami-Dade Police Department on their way back to their apartment that was a cover for their hideout. Still, the moment Spectra stepped into the precinct it was like she was in an all-you-can-eat buffet. Several men and women had the faint smell of misery coming off of them. One certain detective from Texas caught her eye. The scent of misery was slightly stronger than anyone else's in the room but it wasn't strong enough to soothe her greedy appetite.

An officer led the two to an interrogation room where a tan woman with brown hair and matching brown eyes was waiting for them. The woman thanked the officer and dismissed him.

"Penelope Spectra, my name is Detective Natalia Boa Vista. I'm with the crime lab," the woman greeted. They shook hands making Spectra's face light up. This woman must have had a lot of miserable memories in her past. It made Spectra wonder what Natalia's been through.

Spectra smiled. "Nice to meet you, Miss Boa Vista. This is my assistant, Bertrand."

"Nice to meet you," Natalia said to him. He just stared back at her with a blank look and sniffed.

"Please excuse him," said Spectra. "He's not a people person."

"That's quite alright. I want to talk about Holly Seabrook," said Natalia getting right to the point. "My coworkers believe your behavior during their visit to Lenore High School this morning was questionable. Care to explain?"

"I try to keep everyone in high spirits even during the most devastating turn of events," Spectra explained. "Someone has to keep smiling in these dark times because there will always be someone out there who needs cheering up."

"Well, we've talked to some of the other guidance councilors and they said that all of the other students who've committed suicide this year were assigned to you," said Natalia. "That doesn't look good on you. In fact, Holly even suspected that you had something to do with it."

Spectra grinned. "Like I said, someone has to stay in high spirits during this time of sadness. If not, then the entire school would be miserable."

Natalia shrugged. "Well, I think the school would be miserable anyway. I mean this is the fourth death Lenore High School has experienced this year alone!"

Spectra shrugged back. "It could be a coincidence. Do you treat every suicide like it's a murder?"

"Some deaths are staged to make it look like a suicide," Natalia explained. "We have reason to believe that this suicide was staged."

"Hmmm… that's an interesting theory. Well, if you have no evidence that points to me then I'll be on my way," Spectra said as she stood up to leave.

"Very well. We'll stay in touch," Natalia replied. The two women shook hands again. Spectra detected a hint of disappointment and frustration in Natalia's touch. As the CSI watched the two leave the building, she couldn't get over the fact at how cold the woman's hand was.

"Ah, I cannot get over how much hidden frustration was hidden in that woman!" Spectra exclaimed gleefully.

"So you were not the only one who detected that," clarified Bertrand. "I detected small traces of it in the other officers as well, especially that bald one I saw as we came in."

"Yes, but it's not enough to satisfy my tastes," said Spectra.

As they continued walking, they noticed three preteen girls walk past them. One of them looked exactly like a certain teenager Spectra knew in Amity Park. That girl had a strong scent of misery and the rare scent of trauma.

"Spectra, did you see what I saw?" Bertrand whispered.

Spectra narrowed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I did. It could be a coincidence but we better keep a low profile for awhile just in case."

* * *

Danielle tried as best as she could to hold in the blue mist that was trying to escape her mouth (she and her friends landed in an alleyway and Dani changed into Danielle). As soon as she and her friends were inside the crime lab she dashed to the closest bathroom. She exhaled loudly as a large cloud of blue mist was released from her mouth.

"Danielle?" Luna called as she and Leila followed her into the bathroom.

"Geez! Do you always hold in your ghost sense in public?" asked Leila.

"Sorry," Danielle gasped. "I didn't want people to think I was smoking something."

"Judging by the amount of mist that escaped from your mouth, I'm guessing that you sensed more than one," Leila assumed.

"When exactly did it go off?" asked Luna.

Danielle thought about it for a moment. "I'm going to say when we were crossing the parking lot."

Luna thought about it too. "Oh yeah! It was when Leila made a remark about that lady's outfit. What did you say she was dressed like?"

Leila rolled her eyes. "I said that that lady wore more red than the Red Death. And that midget buddy of hers was too short to be her butler! Most butlers I've seen are tall and skinny."

Danielle became concerned. "Do you think I should look around?"

"Well, since whatever you sensed hasn't shown up I say we give it the slip for now," said Leila.

Luna agreed. Seeing that she was outvoted, Danielle reluctantly agreed. The trio then left the bathroom to find Horatio and the team.

* * *

**I don't know how to describe Spectra's ability to detect emotions so I just said that she can smell them. I guess you can say she's after everyone's best traits, like in 'Doctor's Disorders'. Unfortunately this story will not end with Spectra turning into a giant floating booger. **

**Imagine what will happen when Spectra meets Horatio! If you've watched the show then you know that he's a hurricane of misery!  
**


	5. The MiamiDade Crime Lab

**Thank you, jeanette9a for reviewing! As a reward, you get a cookie... and a new chapter!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The Miami-Dade Crime Lab**

Calleigh Duquesne would normally be found in the ballistics lab testing out firearms but today she was in Trace examining the rope that was used to hang Holly Seabrook. There were traces of epithelial (skin tissue) in the rope. Calleigh cut a piece of the rope and examined it underneath a microscope. The skin cells on the rope did not look like anything Calleigh has ever seen. It didn't look human or animal, so what was it? Whatever it was, she sent her findings to the DNA lab. Hopefully Eric will have better luck at identifying the skin cells than her.

* * *

Horatio's cell phone rang. It was Ryan.

"Talk me, Mr. Wolfe."

"H? I think you were onto something only this isn't a regular homicide. It's a paranormal one," Ryan said grimly.

"You're thinking a ghost killed this girl?" asked Horatio.

"I think so," Wolfe answered. "Tom found ectoplasm in her system. You can see a faint glow on some of the scratch marks. A ghost definitely killed her."

"Do we know how the ghost killed her?"

"According to Tom, it drained her energy until she couldn't even move. The ghost most likely took that opportunity to hang her and tried to make it look like a suicide," Ryan explained.

Horatio thought about this for a moment. A ghost that knows how to drain a person's energy? Why would a ghost kill a girl and then make it look like a suicide? What about the other students that committed suicide? What if they were also staged?

"Ryan, do you think that it's possible that the other students were also murdered?" Horatio asked.

There was a long pause. "I guess it's a possibility," said Ryan. "I'll look into it and see what I find."

"Keep me posted." Horatio said before he hung up. He rubbed his temples deep in thought. Now that Horatio knew that the killer was most likely a ghost, he had to figure out a way to find it and catch it. His team still had the ghost hunting equipment that was found during the Molly Novak case.

He didn't want to but he had to ask Danielle about this. If this really was a ghost they're dealing with then Danielle might know what kind it was.

* * *

Gwen ran out of her house and hopped on her bicycle. She started riding toward the crime lab. She's known Danielle long enough to know that the ghost girl occasionally stops by there after school to visit. If her hunch was right then maybe the CSI's were dealing with a ghost. There's no way Holly was suicidal! True, she was recently diagnosed with depression but she didn't let that stop her from the truth.

Ms. Spectra must have some connection with Holly's death. Gwen remembered all the horror stories about that woman. No matter how many times those kids went to see her, they wouldn't feel any better about themselves.

Gwen was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she was about to run someone over.

"Look out!"

Gwen snapped out of her thoughts too little too late. Her bike ran into a very short man. She fell off her bike and landed on the concrete.

"Ouch! That's going to leave a mark," she muttered to herself as she rubbed her butt.

"Oh my goodness! We're so sorry!" said a woman in red. "We were so busy talking, we weren't paying attention."

"That's okay," Gwen said pulling herself up. "I was so lost in thought, I didn't pay attention." She then saw the short man laying on the sidewalk groaning. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I'm SO sorry! Please don't sue me!"

The little man stood up and brushed himself off. "I'll live," he grumbled clearly pissed off with the girl.

"May I be so bold as to ask you what you were thinking about?" asked the red woman.

"My cousin died today," Gwen said forlornly.

The red woman gasped. "Your cousin died? What happened?"

"The cops think she committed suicide, but I think she was murdered," Gwen growled. "I'm going to the cops so I can tell them."

The red woman laughed. "Why bother? Police officers don't listen to children. No matter what you tell them, they'll never believe you." She put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I say you forget about it."

Gwen suddenly felt tired and unhappy. The happy memories of her cousin flashed through her mind. Her tears spilled over onto her face. She quickly shook her head, trying to stay focused. She slapped the woman's hand away. "You don't know what you're talking about, lady. I gotta get going!" With that, she picked up her bike and rode away.

* * *

Danielle, Luna and Leila stepped off the elevator with visitor's passes clipped onto their clothing and looked around the lab in awe.

"This is way cooler than what they show on TV," Leila gasped **(ironic, isn't it?)**.

"Where do you think Horatio would be?" asked Luna.

Danielle had no idea where to look. She may have visited the lab before but she's never been inside Horatio's office. She's only hung out in the lobby and the lounge. The ghost girl knew not to go into the workstations without supervision.

"I don't really know where to look," Danielle admitted. "I've only been to the lounge and the lobby. I mean, I've been to the interrogation room before but that was different."

"Come on," said Leila. "You haven't even gone ghost just to go on an invisible tour?"

Danielle turned pink. Yes, she's gone ghost before and explored the lab but that was under different circumstances. Things are different now. She's no longer a material witness or anything.

"Yes, I did but that was during the Molly Novak case so it was different," Danielle defended.

"Come one, no one's looking," Leila insisted.

"Actually, there are security cameras set up all over the building," someone behind them said. The girls jumped and turned around to face a tall African American man.

"Hi, Walter," Danielle said nervously. "Is…is Horatio in?"

"Danielle, you know that Horatio can't always see you when you come visit," said Walter. "Same goes with Natalia too."

Danielle growled in frustration. She hated it when people treated her like a five-year-old. "Walter, we're here on official business. In fact, I think it might have something to do with Gwen's cousin's death."

"That's what you said about the case last week," said Walter. "There were no ghosts involved at all."

"This time we're serious," Danielle insisted.

"Walter?"

Everyone turned to see Horatio standing behind them. He was looking at the floor, fingering his trademark sunglasses.

"H! Sorry, I didn't know you were expecting visitors," Walter explained hastily.

"That's quite alright," Horatio said. "I was actually going to check to see if Danielle dropped by to visit yet."

"Oh," said Danielle. "Do you need help or something?"

"Actually, yes. I need you to contact your cousin. We have reason to believe that Holly Seabrook's death was actually a murder, not a suicide."

"I KNEW IT!"

The group turned and saw Gwen stepping off the elevator. Her face was red and drenched with sweat and out of breath.

Horatio approached the girl. "Gwen? Sweetie, what are you doing here?"

"After you talked to me, I started thinking about Holly's death," Gwen panted, "and then it hit me. What if she was murdered? I don't know much about depression and stuff like that but I know Holly. She thinks suicide is a person's way of admitting defeat to life and that it's stupid."

Horatio nodded. "Alright. Walter, how about you give Danielle's friends a tour of the lab. I need to talk to Danielle alone."

Walter nodded. "Sure, H. Ladies, if you follow me." He led the three human girls away from Horatio and Danielle.

The ghost clone turned to Horatio. "If my visits are bothering you and your team, I'll stop," she said worriedly.

"No, that's okay," Horatio assured gently. "As I was saying, I need you to contact Danny Fenton for me."

Danielle tilted her head. "What for? I don't think Danny knows enough about murders to help you."

"Mr. Wolfe spoke with Dr. Loman and they discovered that there was ectoplasm found in Holly's body. According to Dr. Loman, her strength was drained from her body to the point where she couldn't even move," Horatio explained. "We believe that a ghost is responsible."

Danielle's eyebrows went straight up. "A ghost did it? I don't know any ghost that can do something like that."

Horatio gave the girl a half-smile. "That's why I want to see if your cousin might know what kind of ghost we're dealing with."

Before Danielle could give Horatio an answer, her ghost sense went off again. She looked around the lab in fear. Horatio, seeing the blue mist and Danielle's insecurity, looked around as well.

A pair of screams could be heard within the lab. Ryan Wolfe and Eric Delko zoomed past the redhead and the ghost girl.

"GIANT HORNET!" Ryan screamed as he and Delko ran towards the ballistics lab.

Horatio and Danielle looked in the direction where they ran from. A giant green hornet the size of a station wagon was flying through the hallway. It turned its head in their direction.

Danielle paled. "Horatio?"

"Danielle?" said Horatio who was surprisingly calm.

"That's a ghost."

"A hornet ghost by the looks of it."

The two then followed Ryan and Eric to the ballistics lab.

* * *

Eric Delko was examining the epithelial samples Calleigh sent to the DNA lab earlier this morning. He took a sample and placed it in a test tube. It was then put into a DNA analysis machine that would say whether or not the sample was human and whom it belonged to. Right now Eric was just waiting for the computer to get results.

"Hey, Delko," Ryan greeted as he entered the DNA lab. "How's our skin sample from the rope coming along?"

"Nothing yet," Eric said not looking up from the computer. "I've been looking through every databank in the state and I've hit nothing but dead ends."

Ryan pulled a vile out of his lab coat pocket. "Maybe we'll have better luck with these skin samples Tom pulled from our vic." The vial contained glowing pieces of dead skin. "Ectoplasm was found in the girl's system. You can see it clear as day on the scratch marks. Kind of hard to miss since they were literally glowing."

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it would be hard to miss that."

The air in the lab suddenly got a little colder. Both men noticed that.

"Wolfe, I thought you told Walter to stop messing with the AC," said Eric shivering.

"I told him months ago," Ryan defended.

_BUZZZZZZZ….._

"Do you hear buzzing?" asked Ryan.

Eric paused for a moment and listened.

_BUZZZZZZZZ….._

"Yeah, I hear it too," Eric answered.

"Then I suggest you two idiots turn around," said a voice.

Both men did so. A giant green hornet ghost was hovering in the air staring down at them. Both CSI's paled.

"Wolfe?"

"Yeah?" Ryan squeaked.

"Do you see a giant hornet floating in front of us?" asked Eric who was trying really hard not to panic.

"Yeah. I thought it was my eye acting up," answered Wolfe.

"I thought I was hallucinating again."

The hornet smirked at them. "Believe me, gentlemen, I'm as real as the badges clipped to your hips." The bug dived towards them. Both ducked.

"WHAT THE HELL! IT TALKS!" screamed Eric.

"Delko? I think we're going to need a bigger flyswatter," said a very panicked Ryan.

"To hell with the flyswatter!" Eric snapped. He remembered that the ballistics lab still had the ghost hunting equipment from before stored there. Since this hornet was obviously a ghost, they might have a chance at fighting it. "We need to find Calleigh! She should be in ballistics. She'll know what to do."

"I sure hope you're right," said Ryan.

Both men then dove underneath the hornet and ran out of the lab, screaming for help. They heard the hornet ghost crash through the window and the buzzing that was following them. As they neared the lobby area, they saw Danielle Masters talking to Horatio.

Knowing that H will most likely stop them from running, Ryan just yelled at the top of his lungs, "GIANT HORNET!" as he and Eric ran past them and continued toward the ballistics lab.

* * *

**Don't worry, folks! There's going to be some Dani action in the next chapter, I promise!**

**I liked writing the last part! I thought it was kind of funny!  
**

**I want more reviews! It's good for my self-esteem!  
**


	6. Misery

**Hooray! The newest chapter is here! Imagine Spectra and Bertrand's surprise when they see that another Phantom is around!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Misery**

Calleigh was swamped about this case. There was only one thing she enjoyed doing that always cleared her mind: shoot targets in the ballistics lab. Nothing relieved her stress faster than shooting a piece of paper with a face on it.

"CALLEIGH!"

She heard Eric's screaming through her earmuffs. She put her gun down and took off her earmuffs. She turned around and saw Eric and Ryan running into the ballistics lab, their faces were chalk-white.

"Eric? Ryan? What's going on?" asked Calleigh.

"Green…hornet…" Ryan gasped.

Calleigh furrowed her eyebrows. "Green hornet? Are you talking about the movie or the comic book?"

"GIANT…green…hornet…" Ryan corrected himself.

Okay, this was getting Calleigh nowhere. "Eric? What is Ryan talking about?"

Eric took a moment to catch his breath. "Believe it or not…but there's a giant green hornet ghost flying around the lab," he panted.

Calleigh snorted. "Okay, did you guys have a 'Nightmare on Elm Street' marathon again last night?"

Ryan glared at the blonde CSI. "We're being 100% serious!"

Danielle suddenly ran into the ballistics lab. She looked around for a hiding place.

"Danielle?" said Calleigh. "What are you doing here? You know you're not allowed in ballistics without an adult present."

"There's a giant hornet ghost in the lab!" Danielle exclaimed. She then noticed that someone was missing. Where was Horatio? He was right behind her a moment ago. Her ghost sense went off.

The three CSI's noticed. Calleigh panicked. "Was that your ghost sense?" she asked Danielle. "Is there really a ghost nearby?"

Ryan and Eric looked at her dumbfounded. They'd take a twelve-year-old's word over theirs?

Danielle poked her head out the door. To her horror, a shadow-like ghost had the redhead pinned against the wall. The hornet was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, you are just ripe for the picking," the shadow exclaimed.

"I take it that you're responsible for Holly Seabrook's death?" asked Horatio who was trying to stay calm.

The shadow grinned. "You got that right. I feed on teenager's problems and misery to stay young and beautiful. Although, I think I'll make an exception for you and your pathetic friends! I only want to feed on your misery to get your best qualities and you are bursting at the seams with misery and trauma!"

Horatio narrowed his eyes as he stared at his captor.

Danielle went back into the ballistics lab. That ghost did look familiar but the girl just couldn't remember where.

"Horatio's in trouble," Danielle told the CSI's.

Eric turned to Calleigh. "Do we still have that ghost hunting equipment?"

"We should," answered the Southern beauty. "I'll check the gun locker."

"I'll keep the ghost busy," said Danielle. She then transformed into Dani Phantom. She turned intangible and phased out of the room.

Ryan blinked. "No matter how many times I see that, it never gets old," he stated.

* * *

Images of Horatio's dead loved ones flashed through his mind: holding Speed's hand as he took his last breath, staying with Raymond during his last moments, watching a house with his mentor inside blow up, pulling a crying Natalia away from Jesse's dead body, holding Marisol's hand as she slipped away…Marisol. Their marriage didn't even last a month. **(we all know what happened to Marisol. It's still not fair for Horatio though)** Those days he spent with her were the happiest days of his life…

Why were these images flashing through his mind? Is this the ghost's doing? As his mind slowly descended into despair, a flash of green light broke Spectra's grip from him.

"Get away from him!"

Spectra turned to see Dani standing a few feet from them, her fists glowing with ectoplasmic energy. She noticed that the ghost girl had a familiar insignia on her chest.

"What? There's TWO of you?" she asked in disbelief.

"The name's Dani Phantom with an 'i'," Dani introduced herself.

"ANOTHER Phantom?" said Spectra. "Is this a family thing or something?"

Dani smirked. "You could say that." She fired another ghost ray at Spectra, blasting her away from Horatio. She flew over to the redhead to check him over.

"Horatio, are you okay?"

"Marisol…" he murmured. This confused Dani. _'Why is he talking about his wife at a time like this? What did that ghost do to him?'_ He looked like he was in some kind of daze. Hopefully it was only temporary.

Spectra picked herself up. She glowered at the ghost girl. "You little brat! How dare you interrupt my feeding!"

Dani grimaced. "Feeding? What are you? Some kind of vampire?"

Spectra grinned. "I feed on people's misery – preferably teenagers – to stay young and beautiful."

"Beautiful? What's so beautiful about a shadowy old hag?" Dani taunted.

Spectra's eye twitched at being called a hag and glowered at her. "Did you just call me a HAG?"

Dani rolled her eyes. "Duh! You obviously need a hearing aid too. Yes, I did call you a hag!"

"I. Am. Not. A. Hag," Spectra growled, anger clearly heard in her voice. She launched herself at Dani who quickly turned intangible. Spectra crashed into the wall outside the ballistics lab.

"Don't move."

Spectra turned her head to see Calleigh, Ryan and Eric aiming ecto-guns at her. She inhaled and grinned. "You three are bursting with misery. I sense several miserable emotions." She looked at Eric. "Deception, heartbreak, jealousy, loss, betrayal, fury and more loss. Yes, lots of loss." She looked at Calleigh. "Lots of heartbreak and betrayal for you too along with indecisiveness, and plenty of guilt." Spectra then laid her eyes on Wolfe. "Inferiority, guilt, betrayal, loss, anger, and a lot of shame."

Eric's eye twitched and removed the safety of the gun. "You're going down, you bitch," he hissed.

Spectra smirked. "I'd like to see you try," she challenged. She turned intangible and sank into the floor.

"Dammit!" Ryan growled as he pounded his fist on the wall.

Calleigh ran over to Horatio to check him over. "What did that thing do to him?"

"She fed on his misery or something," Dani explained.

Horatio shook his head, snapping himself back into reality. "Dani?"

"Horatio, are you okay?" Eric asked.

"A little drained but I think I'm alright," the redhead answered as he slowly got to his feet.

"Are you sure?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"I'm going to look for the others and make sure they're all right," said Dani. She became intangible and phased through the walls.

* * *

Something has been bugging Natalia since this morning after interviewing Penelope Spectra. For starters that woman was way too perky for a grieving councilor. Secondly, whenever the two women shook hands, Spectra's face lit up not to mention that her hand was colder than ice. After Spectra left, Natalia noticed that she felt a little drained after the interrogation. No matter how much caffeine she had today, she hasn't felt any better. And for some reason, Natalia's ex-boyfriend, Nick Townsend, kept popping up in her mind. When he died Natalia was sure that she wouldn't have to think about that bastard again. So now why is he resurfacing in her mind?

"Natalia?"

Natalia looked up from yet another Coke to see Sergeant Frank Tripp standing over her as she sat on a bench in the precinct.

"Frank, hey! What's going on?" she asked.

"That's my line," Frank answered. "You don't look so good. Coming down with something?"

Natalia pinched the bridge of her nose. "I, honest to God, have no idea what is wrong with me," she moaned. "Ever since this morning I've been feeling drained. It's like I just took a walk through the doldrums."

Frank frowned. "This morning? You mean when you interviewed Bloody Mary and her little stooge?"

Natalia chuckled, knowing that Frank was talking about Penelope and Bertrand. "Yeah, I guess that's when I started feeling blue. You saw her?"

"How could I not? Everyone in the precinct saw them," Frank replied matter-of-factly. "Anyone who wears that much red in this town is going to get noticed."

The temperature suddenly dropped but Frank and Natalia dismissed it as the air conditioner coming on. A scream and a roar were heard near the front door. Both cops turned and saw a cougar had pinned an officer to the floor. The odd thing about this cougar was that it was green with red eyes. Frank aimed his gun at the big cat.

The cougar smirked. "Do you honestly think that kiddie toy is going to hurt me? Because if you fire, the only one who will get hurt is your fellow officer here."

Frank's eyes widened. "Holy crap! It talks!"

Natalia paled. She's seen that shade of green on an animal before on ghost animals. Last time it was a trio of vultures.

The cougar noticed Natalia's hesitation and grinned. "Well, looks like you're already feeling its affects. What's the matter? Feeling down in the dumps lately?"

Natalia clenched her fists. This dumb cat was taunting them. She had to say something that would strike a nerve and release that officer underneath his paw.

"Yeah…everything was fine with me until you showed up," Natalia taunted. Okay, that wasn't her best quip but due to the situation at hand…that was all she had.

The cougar laughed. "Is that the best comeback you've got? Even the Box Ghost can come up with something better than that!" He crouched down, ready to pounce on the CSI. Frank, seeing what the cat was about to do, moved in front of her.

"Don't even think about it, Fluffy," the Texan growled.

The cougar launched himself toward Frank and Natalia. His claws were about a foot away from the bald cop's face when a ghost ray blasted him off course, causing him to crash into an empty interrogation room.

"Leave them alone!"

The cougar looked at his attacker and had to shake his head to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. A ghost girl with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes was standing next to Frank and Natalia. The girl wore a black and white outfit complete with a grey DP insignia. It was said insignia that the cougar recognized.

"ANOTHER ONE?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "There's TWO of you now? How many ghost kids are there?"

Dani responded by launching a disk of ecto-energy at the cougar. Bull's-eye! The attack knocked the big cat right into the window only this time he literally splattered on it.

Everyone gasped at the sight, including Dani. She covered her mouth in shock. _'I didn't mean to do __**that**__! I was even holding back!'_

She turned to Natalia. "I-I-I didn't mean it! I m-mean he – he was going to hurt Frank and – that stupid cat! I was holding my strength back – and…and…" Dani was at loss for words. Could she be arrested for doing something like this, even though it was ghost?

The splatter on the window suddenly started moving, startling everyone in the precinct. It slid off the window and formed what appeared to be a blob of ectoplasm with a face on it.

"Oh come on!" Dani groaned.

The blob looked around at the mess he made. He then smiled. "Well, that's enough damage for one afternoon." The blob then faded away.

* * *

**Now the whole team knows about Spectra and Bertrand...except they haven't connected their ghost forms to their human disguises! **

**The next chapter is going to be delayed due to finals! I'll be done on Tuesday! Hopefully by then, I'll have a new chapter ready to be uploaded! I want lots of reviews till then or I'll unleash the Box Ghost on you non-reviewers and won't call him back until you do! LOL!  
**


	7. InvisiBelle?

**Finals are over! I'll be going to an actual college this fall! No more community college!  
**

**This chapter I HAD to write! I thought it would be hilarious! A little comedy relief if you must! Hope you like it!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Invisi-Belle?**

Danielle woke up the next morning and got dressed for school. As she entered the kitchen, she noticed a picture of her ghost self in the newspaper. She wasn't that surprised. She was all over the news last night. It took her twenty minutes to calm Yelina down so she could explain what happened at the police station.

Danielle put a pair of Pop-Tarts in the toaster as Yelina entered the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Danielle."

The ghost girl smiled. "Morning, Yelina. How's Horatio?"

"He's doing much better thanks to you," the Columbian replied. "He wants you to come see him in the lab after school today."

"Okay."

"But don't bring your friends," Yelina added. "Their parents are threatening to sue us if something like yesterday ever happened again."

Danielle frowned. "That seems a little harsh."

The Pop-Tarts popped out of the toaster.

Yelina shrugged. "It makes sense. If Ray was in any of your friends' shoes yesterday, I wouldn't let him visit the lab for awhile."

Danielle took a bite of her breakfast and sat down at the table. She looked at the paper. "So, you're okay with what happened yesterday? You know I didn't mean for all of this to happen."

Yelina poured the girl some orange juice. "I know. Take a look at the news." She turned on the news.

What Danielle saw made her do a spit-take. The press dubbed Dani Phantom "Invisi-Belle". Danny Phantom was once known as "Inviso-Bill" in Amity Park awhile back. Now that name is not as popular as it once was.

Yelina giggled. "I'm guessing your cousin had a similar nickname?"

Danielle nodded still awestruck at what the media was calling her.

"…from the Miami Crime Lab, I'm Erica Sykes."

Yelina groaned. "I should have known."

Danielle turned to her. "What? Known what?"

Yelina sighed. "Erica Sykes. The most annoying journalist Miami has ever known. I bet my badge she somehow found out about 'Inviso-Bill' and used that to give you that ridiculous nickname."

Danielle furrowed her eyebrows. "Is she that bad?"

"Ryan Wolfe thinks she's a threat to the First Amendment. Natalia hates her because she broadcasted information regarding her kidnapped sister. It almost cost Natalia's sister her life," said Yelina.

"Doesn't she have to get permission from Horatio or someone from the police?"

"Usually," said Yelina. "Most of the time, she somehow finds a loophole and broadcasts it." She then changes the channel. "Now brush your teeth and get going before you're late."

* * *

Danielle flew to school and met with her friends at their meeting place. Upon arrival, Gwen burst into a fit of giggles.

"I'm guessing she watched the news this morning?" Danielle asked Luna.

"Yes. She hasn't stopped laughing since she got here this morning," said Luna. "It's a pretty stupid name if you ask me."

Leila agreed. "I'll say. 'Invisi-Belle'? That's the dumbest nickname I've ever heard! You should think about hiring a publicist."

"Danny's friends pretty much said the same thing when the media dubbed Phantom Inviso-Bill," said Danielle. Gwen laughed even harder. Danielle took note of it. "She's pretty happy for someone who just lost a relative."

"She's just relieved that her cousin did NOT commit suicide," Leila explained.

"What happened yesterday anyway?" asked Luna. "Were you able to call your cousin?"

Danielle frowned. "No. Those creepy ghosts attacked us before we had a chance. A giant hornet chased Ryan and Eric, a mountain lion…"

"Cougar," Luna corrected.

"Right. A cougar tried to attack Natalia and Frank, and a weird shadow ghost attacked Horatio. She did something to him. She said that she was feeding on his misery."

Leila raised an eyebrow. "Feeding on his misery?" she repeated.

Gwen calmed down. "Maybe we're dealing with a vampire," she assumed.

"I've never heard of a shadowy vampire," said Luna.

"I've never heard of a sparkling vampire before _Twilight_ but after meeting Danielle, I now know that anything's possible," Leila muttered.

The first bell rang and the quartet rushed into the school building and went their separate ways. Danielle made a quick stop at her locker. She began unloading her things from her silver backpack** (the same one from _Dani Miami_)** into her locker.

"Where are your cronies today, Masters? Did Saturn finally go to juvie?"

Danielle turned around and faced her version of Dash Baxter. "Alexis, can't you tease someone else for a change? Ever since I moved here, you've been insulting me nonstop."

"What do you expect? You were labeled a geek the moment you befriended Saturn, Rivera, and Seabrook," Alexis replied.

Danielle rolled her eyes and sighed. _'I can't believe I'm physically the same age as her.'_ "I have an idea, Alexis. Let's switch places. You be me and I'll be the spoiled little rich girl for awhile!"

Alexis narrowed her eyes at the ghost girl. "Freak."

"Shallow," Danielle said back, remembering that that was what Sam called Paulina sometimes.

"Loser."

"Spoiled."

"Orphan."

"Dumb blonde."

That did it! Danielle knew perfectly well that Alexis may be rich and popular but she'd never last a day in the real world with her grades. Alexis tried to slap the hybrid. Danielle leaned back to avoid the hand and quickly rushed to her first class.

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Paris Hilton of Nevermore Middle School!" Danielle announced mockingly as she ran.

* * *

Ryan was in a word steamed. Not only did Dani get a stupid name in the press but also it was Erica Sykes who gave her said stupid name in the first place. Ryan really hated that woman. Her broadcasts have caused trouble for the CSI's for as long as Natalia has been on the team. True, Horatio occasionally asks Ryan to contact Erica for a favor during an investigation but the team still hates her despite her help. How she is able to cause massive damage to a case and not get fired is a mystery. The team had several theories. Eric's theory was the most likely: Sykes sleeps with her bosses to keep her job.

As Ryan sat in the lounge reading the paper, Natalia and Calleigh stormed in. They were just as pissed off as Ryan was.

"The moment I lay eyes on that woman, I'm going to strangle her!" Natalia growled.

"For once I wouldn't stop you," Calleigh agreed. "How did Erica Sykes get footage of the attack yesterday without anyone knowing?" She turned to Wolfe and stared at him accusingly. "Ryan?"

Ryan turned a little pink. Everyone knew that he's been in contact with Erica Sikes before. It's only natural that they'd think that.

He held his hands up defensively. "Don't look at me. I broke off all contact with her a long time ago," he defended.

Calleigh sighed. Knowing Sykes, the possibilities were endless. "The least she could have done was come up with a more creative nickname for Dani. 'Invisi-Belle'? Even a five-year-old can come up with something more creative than that!" Calleigh exclaimed.

"She probably heard about Danny Phantom's old nickname and feminized it," Ryan mumbled.

"So, I heard that you guys were attacked by a shadow ghost and a giant hornet," Natalia said trying to change the subject.

"That giant hornet chased me and Eric all over the lab," Ryan said bitterly.

Calleigh giggled. "So, naturally they come running to me for help," she bragged. "What about you, Natalia? Is it true that a cougar ghost almost attacked you and Frank?"

Natalia closed her eyes and sighed. She looked at her two friends. "That stupid cat tried to make me look incompetent. It was like he was trying to push my buttons to set me off. The weirdest part of it was that that cougar was really just a blob with arms and a face."

Calleigh raised her eyebrows. "A blob?"

"You're saying that this cougar ghost is really a shape shifter?" Ryan asked skeptically.

"Hey! If you don't believe me, ask Frank," Natalia defended. "He was there. He saw that green cat turn into a blob of glowing Jell-o."

Ryan was beginning to see a connection. "If what you say is true then for all we know that shape-shifting piece of Jell-o could also have been that hornet that chased me and Eric yesterday."

Calleigh nodded. "That would make sense. Did the hornet talk like the cougar? Frank said that the cougar spoke perfect English."

"Yeah, it did. It sounded cocky, like it knew we were going to run for our lives," Ryan replied.

That got Natalia's attention. "Cocky? That's how that cougar sounded yesterday too. He taunted Frank and me. He acted like he was expecting Frank to shoot him. He knew that if Frank tried to shoot him, he would also risk harming the officer the cat had pinned down."

Calleigh nodded again. "So our shape-shifting blob is both our hornet and cougar. What about that shadow ghost? It said that it fed on negative emotions, preferably teenagers."

"But she said that she'd make an exception for us," Ryan added.

"What really creeped me out was that she was able to sense _our_ negative emotions," said Calleigh. "I wasn't feeling any of those things she mentioned yesterday. Just anger at her for attacking you, Eric and Horatio."

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. "You know, I wasn't feeling negative in the least yesterday until she showed up."

"Uh…I would have probably been a perfect target for her," Natalia confessed.

Ryan and Calleigh looked at her.

"What are you talking about?" Ryan asked full of concern.

"Yesterday afternoon I started feeling…down in the dumps," Natalia explained hesitantly. "I don't understand what was wrong. I was feeling fine yesterday morning but it wasn't until I interrogated Penelope Spectra that I started to feel…drained. No matter how much caffeine I had yesterday I didn't feel any better. To make matters worse, I kept thinking about Nick all day yesterday."

Both her co-workers stared at her wide-eyed. They both knew that Natalia hated talking about her ex-husband.

"Are you still feeling blue?" asked Calleigh.

Natalia sighed. "Yeah, a little. Hopefully it will pass."

"I hope so for your sake," Ryan said. "The last thing we want is someone beating themselves up over nothing."

* * *

Spectra never felt both giddy and irritated at the same time before. Giddy because the members of Horatio's team was like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Irritated because there's another Phantom to deal with. It's bad enough that the Phantom in Amity Park had made her look like a big snotty buffoon (literally). Who knows what this Phantom is capable of!

Bertrand, in human form, came into the living room holding an ice pack to his head. "That Ghost Girl really knows how to pack a punch," he complained. "Were you aware that there was another Phantom?"

"No, I did not," Spectra answered through gritted teeth. "And it's quite clear that this one has sided with the local law enforcement here. They seem to trust her."

"Why they trust her I'll never know," Bertrand responded. "Have you heard what the media dubbed her as?"

"Yes I did. A little déjà vu moment don't you think?"

Bertrand sighed. "They seriously need to come up with better nicknames for us. If they can come up with clever nicknames for serial killers, why can't they do the same for us?"

"Because we like to keep a low profile," Spectra answered. "Did you get to the precinct yesterday?"

"You mean after you took over for me at the lab? Yes," Bertrand answered. "That's where I met the Ghost Girl. How were those lab rats?"

Spectra grinned from ear to ear. "My mouth wouldn't stop watering! The redhead was especially delicious! He has so many miserable memories buried inside him. I want to taste them all!"

"And the others?"

"Let's see. The Cuban had a strong scent of loss. He must have lost someone precious to him. I'm thinking a friend or a family member. The short one smelled mostly of shame. I'm guessing he did something that he's not very proud of. And the blonde one had a strong scent of heartbreak. She must have had her heart broken more than once."

Bertrand grinned. "Sounds like yesterday wasn't a total loss after all. What about the bald one and the tan one?"

Spectra frowned. "I didn't get much from the bald one. He had the common scent of divorce on him. That would make any man miserable. As for the tan one, I caught a whiff of deception and abuse from her."

Bertrand raised an eyebrow. "Deception and abuse? At the same time?"

"More or less. She must have had an abusive relationship with someone. As for deception, I'm thinking she pretended to be something she wasn't."

"There were two others on that team. Did you get a whiff from them?"

Spectra sighed. "Alas, no. I'm more interested in the redhead and the Ghost Girl."

* * *

**I'm loving this! It's only natural that the media would eventually get a whiff of this. Too bad it had to be the bitch Erica Sykes. You probably remember her from Season 4 of CSI Miami. She screwed up several of H's cases because of her broadcasts on the news! She came back in some of recent seasons and someone called her a jackel on live television! **

**If you're wondering which team member Spectra and Bertrand are talking about here they are:  
**

**Redhead: Horatio  
**

**Blonde one: Calleigh  
**

**Short one: Ryan  
**

**Cuban: Eric  
**

**Tan one: Natalia  
**

**Bald one: Frank  
**

**Please review! Don't be shy! You know I love hearing from you all!  
**


	8. Expanding Horizons

**This chapter is kind of a filler chapter. You know how Dani is pretty much like Danny in almost every way? Well, I decided that she should expand her horizons. I guess you can say I'm trying to make Dani more human than clone. Hope that's cool with you guys!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Expanding Horizons**

Contrary to what Yelina told Danielle this morning, Horatio was not all right. He felt an awful tight knot in his chest, something he hasn't felt since Eric was found wandering through the Everglades, battered, bloodied and alone.

The memories of everyone Horatio cared about kept circling in his mind and wouldn't leave him alone. His mother, Raymond, Speed, Jesse, Marisol…especially Marisol. Maybe he should have waited until the whole Mala Noche problem blew over and then married her. If he waited…maybe she would still be alive.

He shook his head, trying to focus on his work in his office. What did that shadow ghost do to him yesterday? Why were these memories coming back to haunt him? Usually he was good at keeping them buried until the situation demanded it but this was different somehow. It was like someone let them loose. Like someone just opened his own personal Pandora's Box. Horatio needed to focus on protecting the ones who were still alive that he cared about: every member of his team. That also included Yelina, Ray Jr., Kyle, Eric…and Danielle.

For some reason Horatio felt some kind of bond with the girl. Everyone on the team adored her, especially Natalia. If Danielle wasn't with Horatio, she was having some girl talk with Natalia.

The redheaded lieutenant smiled at himself. Whatever that shadow ghost did, Horatio was not going to drop his guard around it again. He underestimated it yesterday. He wasn't going to let it happen again. The next time it showed up, he'll be ready. He won't get fooled again.

* * *

Luckily for Walter and Eric, the blob of Jell-o left plenty of traces of itself behind yesterday. While Walter took pictures of what was left of the interrogation room, Eric gathered evidence that the monster left behind.

"I found footprints," Walter announced. He then chuckled to himself. "Most likely from Invisi-Belle," he laughed. "I won't be able to keep a straight face if I'm with Danielle."

Eric smiled. "It will be even funnier if she overshadowed you if you ever call her that."

Walter held up his hands in defeat. "Fair enough. But it'll be worth it." He chuckled to himself as he resumed photographing Dani's footprints, broken glass, and ectoplasm.

Eric rolled his eyes as he sighed. _'Maybe H should hire a publicist for Dani.'_

* * *

Flying to the crime lab would have been a piece of cake for Danielle but with all the publicity her ghostly alter-ego was getting from the media, she thought it would be best if she walked there instead. She had to tell her friends repeatedly that they couldn't come with her. No amount of begging would change her mind. She even told her friends that it was Horatio's orders, not hers. Danielle eventually agreed that they would walk her to the lab.

"So, what's your cousin like?" asked Leila. "Is he cute?"

Danielle shrugged. "I guess you could call him cute. I'm practically family so I don't really pay attention to stuff like that."

"How old is he?" asked Gwen.

"Fifteen."

Leila cursed under her breath, which earned her an elbow in the ribs from Luna.

"Does he have a younger brother?" Leila pressed.

Danielle giggled. "No. He has an older sister but no brothers."

"Dang."

"Why are you concerned about looks, Leila?" Luna asked. "From what I've heard, he and Danielle look exactly alike…except for the gender and age gap."

"Not to mention I like everything he likes," Danielle added.

"Well, think about it this way," said Gwen. "Now that you live in Miami, your personality can now grow. The similarities stop here! You can now become interested in whatever you want!"

"Yeah," Leila agreed. "What are some of your interests?"

Danielle thought about it for a moment. "Besides stargazing, NASA, Dumpty Humpty, and ghost fighting, I don't really know."

The three girls stared at Danielle in shock. They looked at each other and thought the same thing: expand Danielle's horizons. Leila and Luna each grabbed one of Danielle's arms and dragged her towards a nearby bookstore.

"What the?" exclaimed an alarmed Danielle.

"We're going to help you find an identity," Leila said.

"A what?"

"Right now your interests are _exactly_ like your cousin's," Luna explained. "If you want to be more human than clone…"

"You're going to have to find some interests of your own!" Gwen finished. "And the bookstore is a perfect start!"

"But I have to get to the crime lab!" Danielle insisted.

"Did Horatio say what time you had to be there?" asked Leila.

"No, I don't think so."

"Then let's just spend an hour at this bookstore and explore!"

It wasn't as bad as Danielle thought. Gwen had to keep her away from books about NASA, outer space or anything paranormal.

"What about crime fighting?" Luna suggested. "You're always at the crime lab and you _do_ live with a cop."

"Danny likes fighting crime too," Danielle admitted. "He's friends with the people at the New York Crime Lab." Her friends groaned. She was more like her cousin than she let on.

"Maybe she should read _Twilight_," Gwen suggested.

"And turn her into a swooning vampire-loving fan-girl?" Leila retorted.

"How about Harry Potter?" Luna suggested. "Everyone likes Harry Potter."

"Now you're talking."

Danielle seemed to like that idea. However, she didn't buy a copy. "I'll see if Yelina has the books first."

They checked out the music section of the store and explored the various music genres. Leila had to pull Danielle away from the Dumpty Humpty music. She quickly discovered that she didn't like rap or scream-o.

Sadly, the hour went by and the girls had to continue their trek to the crime lab.

"So, find anything interesting?" asked Luna.

"Well, I did see a few bands that caught my eye," Danielle said hesitantly.

"Besides Dumpty Humpty?" Gwen asked. "Not that I don't like their music. I think they rock!"

Danielle looked up at the sky, deep in thought. "Well, I listened to the Beatles…"

"Can't go wrong with them," Leila commented approvingly.

"My Chemical Romance…"

"Also good…" Leila said nodding.

"Green Day…"

"I like them," Luna said.

"Some guy named Frank Sinatra…"

"My dad listens to him all the time…" said Gwen cheekily.

"The Who…"

"Won't get fooled again," Leila joked.

"And Quietdrive," Danielle finished the list of bands that sparked her interests.

"Love them," they said in unison.

Danielle looked at her friends. "You guys listen to a lot of music."

Leila shrugged. "My older brother listens to some of those guys."

Luna smiled. "I just discovered them through school and the radio."

Gwen sighed sadly. "Holly introduced me to some of those bands you mentioned."

Danielle panicked. "Sorry! I didn't mean to bring her up!"

Gwen waved it away. "Forget about it. I know that Lieutenant Caine will be able to catch her killer and put him to justice!"

The ghost girl smiled. She's going to help Horatio find Holly's killer no matter what.

* * *

They finally arrived at the crime lab where Danielle parted from her friends. She entered the lab and grabbed her visitor's pass and got on the elevator. She quickly went to the lounge to see if anyone she knew was there.

"Natalia!"

The woman turned around and smiled at her visitor. "Danielle! Hey, what's up?"

"Horatio ask me to come. We're going to contact my cousin and see if he can help us with this case," Danielle explained.

Natalia sighed. "Good idea."

Danielle frowned. "Are you okay?"

Natalia sighed again. "I have no idea, Danielle. Ever since yesterday I've been feeling blue."

The ghost girl tilted her head. "Blue?"

"It means I've been feeling down in the dumps or depressed."

"Oh. What makes you say that?"

Natalia looked out the window. "Let's just say some bad memories surfaced in my mind that are better left buried."

Danielle frowned again. "How can something bad happen to you? You're a cop."

Natalia giggled. "Even bad things happen to cops, Danielle. I used to work for the FBI before I was a CSI. One day I was assigned to work here undercover and get some dirt on Horatio's team."

Danielle gasped. "Why would you do that?"

"I was only following orders from my superiors. I did some things that I wasn't very proud of. But eventually I became friends with a lot of members of the team. I told my bosses lots of good things about them. Eventually, everyone found out I was the mole in the lab."

"Mole? Like the animal?"

Natalia chuckled. "No. When cops use the word mole, they mean that someone is leaking information to the FBI or some of those big shots you hear about on the news," Natalia explained.

"Oh. So, everyone must have been pretty angry about you being the mole, huh?" said Danielle.

Natalia scoffed. "You have NO idea! Hardly anyone spoke to me after that. So, I decided to leave the FBI and join the crime lab permanently. Horatio was the only one who approved of my decision. It took the others awhile to trust me again."

Danielle was speechless. "Wow. I don't think I would be able to handle something like that. I'm sorry about what happened to you."

Natalia smiled. "It's okay." She released another sigh of relief. "Aaahhh… Glad I got that off my chest! I feel a little better."

Danielle smiled back. "That's good. Can you show me where Horatio's office is?"

"Sure. Just don't tell anyone about what I've told you. Personal stuff, you know?"

"Okay."

Natalia then led Danielle to Horatio's office.

* * *

**I hope you folks liked this chapter! Keep those reviews coming! What the heck is wrong with you guys?**

**Thank you jeanette9a, YinYangWriter, Zii Raevyn, Major Simi, and soulknight121! I love you all for reviewing! Please keep it up!  
**

**For those who are wondering why I picked those musicians and bands, I just picked them off the top of my head.  
**

**Stay tuned, folks! Danny Fenton will be making a brief appearance in the next chapter!  
**


	9. Contacting Phantom

**Yay! New chapter!  
**

**I'm surprised that no one noticed the little pun I put in the previous chapter. It was at the end of the first part of the chapter.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Contacting Phantom**

Natalia knocked on Horatio's door before coming in. The redheaded lieutenant looked up from his work.

"Danielle, Natalia. Welcome," he greeted.

"Anything else, H?" asked Natalia.

"That will be all for now. Thanks."

Natalia nodded and left the room. Horatio turned his attention to the twelve-year-old who fidgeted.

"Sorry I'm late," Danielle apologized. "My friends wanted to walk me to the lab and…well…we got sidetracked. They wanted me to be more human than clone, I guess."

Horatio smiled understandably. He knew Danielle's personality closely mirrored Danny Fenton's and that included his interests. They were right to help her expand her personality.

"That's okay," he said gently. "Just let me know next time."

Danielle smiled and nodded. He gestured her to approach his computer on his desk. He turned on the web camera and activated Skype. A boy who looked almost exactly like Danielle appeared on the computer screen.

"Lieutenant Caine?"

"Daniel Fenton," Horatio stated. "It's been awhile."

"A couple of months but who's counting?" Danny replied.

"Hi Danny!" Danielle piped up.

"Hey Danielle! What's up, cuz?"

Danielle frowned and looked at the redhead.

"The cousin of one of Danielle's friends was murdered," Horatio explained. "It was staged to look like a suicide. Evidence suggests that a ghost was responsible."

Danny's eyebrows shot straight up. "A ghost? Are you sure?"

"Ectoplasm was found on some scratch marks. According to our coroner, her energy was drained to the point where she couldn't move, thus making her vulnerable for someone to put a noose around her neck and hang her from the railing of the local pier," Horatio explained grimly.

"A ghost that can drain people's energy…" Danny trailed off deep in thought.

"That same ghost attacked the lab and Horatio's friends yesterday," Danielle added.

Danny frowned. "What did it look like?"

"It looked like a shadow," Danielle described. "It had Horatio pinned against the wall and…it…fed…off of…his misery." As weird as it sounded, it was the truth.

Danny's eyes widened. "This shadow ghost…did it have a little sidekick with it? It should be a shape-shifting ghost."

Danielle thought about it. "Well, a giant talking hornet chased Eric and Ryan through the lab and a talking cougar ghost almost attacked Frank and Natalia. The shadow and the cougar were surprised to see me."

"They were surprised?" Danny repeated.

"Yeah. They were surprised that 'another Phantom' was fighting them."

Danny gripped his chin, deep in thought.

"Mr. Fenton, do you know who or what these ghosts are?" asked Horatio.

"Based on your description, I'm guessing its Spectra and her assistant, Bertrand," said Danny. "Spectra feeds on people's misery to keep herself young. Bertrand helps her by taunting her victims and making them feel worse about themselves. He was probably that hornet and that cougar you mentioned."

Horatio looked up and stared directly at Danny. If anyone knew Horatio well, he only made direct eye contact when something bad was about to happen. "Spectra? As in Penelope Spectra?"

Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah. The same one. Why? Is she in Miami?"

"Penelope Spectra is a suspect in a homicide," Horatio explained to the teenage hybrid. "When we met her, she was a guidance councilor at a local high school. According to my CSI's, she seemed far too energetic for someone who just lost one of her students. However, she looked nothing like the ghost that attacked the lab yesterday."

Danny frowned. "That sounds like Spectra alright. You probably met her in her human disguise. She acts like she wants to help you but its all a lie. Whenever she touches you, she feeds on whatever makes you unhappy. It doesn't matter if it's an issue at home or bad memories. She'll feed on it until you're bone-dry."

That would explain why Horatio has been feeling more melancholy than usual. He was fine until Spectra showed up.

"Danny, can Spectra sense people's misery?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah, she can. No matter how much you bury your negative emotions, she always knows how to sniff them out," Danny answered.

"That would explain how she was able to name every negative emotion in my teammates yesterday," Horatio murmured. "She pinned me to the wall and fed on my memories, making me see them flash before my eyes."

Danny's eyes widened. "Oh, man. I'm so sorry, Lieutenant. Did she feed on anyone else?"

"Not that I know of. Danielle, did Spectra attack anyone else yesterday?"

"I don't think so. Although, Natalia said that she has been feeling blue lately."

"Spectra probably fed on her," said Danny. This was confusing the boy. "This doesn't make sense. Why is she feeding on adults? She prefers teenagers."

"She said that she's willing to make an exception for us," Horatio said grimly.

It then dawned on Danny on what Spectra's motives were. "She's after your best traits."

The redhead cocked his head. "Explain that, please."

"She must be after your best traits, like your strength or your brains," Danny explained. "She probably wants them to use against you."

Horatio thought about his teammates. When it came to firearms, Calleigh had the best aim on the team, second only to Horatio. Eric was Horatio's best scuba diver and had a keen eye for detail. Ryan also had a keen eye for detail and always went by the book due to his OCD. Those three seem to be the most likely candidates for Spectra. As for everyone else, Natalia is known to keep the darkest secrets hidden, Walter is fluent in French, and Frank had his street smarts.

The redhead then thought of something. "Danny, what if someone's best trait happens to be their weakness?"

"What do you mean?" asked Danny.

"See, one of my CSI's happens to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which is actually the reason why I hired him in the first place. Could Spectra happen to obtain his OCD through him?"

Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "I never thought about it that way. I guess it's possible. Do you still have all that ghost hunting equipment?"

"As a matter of fact, we do," Horatio replied. "What do recommend using against Spectra?"

"For starters, always have the Fenton Thermos on you," said Danny. "It's the only way for you to catch her. In order to weaken her, you have to use the Fenton Ghost Peeler."

"I remember Natalia using it at the hospital when I first came here," Danielle stated.

"And using the Ghost Peeler would weaken her?" Horatio asked.

"Right," Danny confirmed. "Just be prepared for what you see underneath all that stolen youth of hers."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Horatio. His cell phone suddenly started ringing. "Excuse me." He answered his phone. "Yeah?" As he listened to the other line, his calm demeanor morphed into a determined one. "I'm on my way." He shut his phone and turned to the teen on the monitor. "I'm afraid we're going to have to cut this conversation short. There's been another suicide at Lenore High School."

Danielle gasped. _'Note to self: never go to there for high school!'_

Danny nodded. "I understand. It's probably Spectra again. Bring Danielle with you in case she or Bertrand strike again. Just make sure Danielle doesn't see the dead body."

"Will do. Thank you, Mr. Fenton," said Horatio. The connection ended. Danielle changed into Dani and followed Horatio out the building.

* * *

Horatio sped off in his Hummer toward Lenore High School with Dani following him (invisibly, of course). The parking lot was already jammed with news vans, patrol officers, and concerned parents.

"What do we have, Frank?" Horatio asked as he entered the building.

"One of the football players was leaving early for a dentist appointment. He was showering in the locker room when he heard a gunshot. He goes to investigate and he sees the brains of one of the chess club members splattered all over the lockers," Frank summarized. "Butch Warner, 16 years old. Member of the chess club and – what some of his peers call him – a band geek."

"Have you spoken with family and friends yet?" asked Horatio.

"Spoke with the parents. They said that they've noticed that their son has been acting a little glum lately. They thought it was just a phase teenagers went through. I wouldn't be surprised if they said that their kid wouldn't talk to them about his problems."

"Well, that is what teenagers tend to do," Horatio replied. "They try to act grown up so they can deal with their problems on their own."

Dani, still invisible, whispered in Horatio's ear. "What do you want me to do?"

Horatio whispered back, "Stay alert. If you sense a ghost nearby, I want you to tell Frank, me, or anyone on the team. Don't try to go after Spectra alone."

"What if she's in her human disguise?"

"Let me know and I'll deal with her."

Dani pouted and floated to a nearby bathroom where she changed back into Danielle. She came out and waited with Frank outside the locker room.

* * *

**How is that? Don't be mad if this chapter was a little short.**

**Horatio and the gang will have to stay on their toes!  
**

**Come on, people! REVIEW! I DARE YOU!  
**


	10. Memories of Loss

**Happy Cinco de Mayo! Bring on the margaritas! *cue Mariachi band*  
**

**Spectra strikes again! What's a redheaded lieutenant and a ghost girl to do?  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Memories of Loss**

Horatio entered the locker room to find Tom examining the body and Calleigh searching for any bullet casings. Eric was also there taking pictures of the crime scene. A large wall divided the locker room; both sides of it had mirrors and sinks. One half of the room was wet from the showers the football player was using when he found the DB. The other half had blood splattered all over the mirrors.

"Same MO, Dr. Loman?" Horatio asked Tom.

"If you mean a murder staged to look like a suicide, then yes," Tom replied. "Bruising on his arms and wrists show that someone grabbed him rather forcefully. I'm thinking he resisted his attackers."

Calleigh noticed something was off about the victim. "Look at the bullet hole on his temple," she said pointing to his head. "The bullet hole is on the left side while the gun is in his right hand." She put on some latex gloves, took a swab and rubbed it on the victim's arm. She then took out a spray bottle and sprayed the swab. Nothing happened. "No gunshot residue on his right arm." She did the same with his other arm. Same results. "Nothing on his other arm either. Someone put the gun in his hand."

"So this is a homicide," Eric concluded.

Tom gave Calleigh a blank look. "Can I have my DB back now?"

The Southern Beauty gave Tom a large smile. "By all means." Something else caught her eye. "Found the bullet casing." Eric came over and took a picture of it. Calleigh picked it up to get a closer look at it. "Bullet's a .22. I'll run the serial number through; see who owns the gun."

"You think our shadowy friend is the one behind it?" Eric asked.

"Most likely."

"Eric, find the principal and get our victim's records," Horatio ordered as he donned a pair of latex gloves.

Eric left the locker room and went to principal's office.

* * *

While Horatio was dealing with the locker room, Frank was dealing with the football player. Danielle, unfortunately, had to watch. It was quite boring.

"I don't know what to tell you, man," the football player said.

"Sure, you do," said Frank. "Just tell me what you heard, what you saw…Stuff like that."

"Well, I left practice early because I had a dentist appointment. If you don't believe me, call my mom and my dentist! They'll vouch for me!" the student quickly added.

"Already did," said Frank. "Both your folks and your dentist confirmed it."

"So like I said, I left practice early for my appointment. I was smelly and sweaty so I decided I'd have a quick rinse before I left," the student continued. "I was in the middle of my shower when I heard a gunshot. I shut off the shower, grabbed a towel and there was Butch Warner on the floor with his brains all over the bathroom."

"Notice anything unusual before you heard the gunshot?" asked Frank.

The football player thought for a moment. "Yeah…for some reason the room got very cold. I tried making the water hotter but it wasn't enough. After I heard the gunshot…the room temperature went back to normal."

That got Frank's attention. "The room temperature changed?"

"Yeah," the student confirmed. "Which is weird because I didn't hear the AC come on or anything like that and it's too warm out for a cold breeze."

Little did Frank know, Danielle heard the entire conversation between the football player and the Texan. _'No question about it. It had to be a ghost!'_ Just then Eric left the locker room and walked down the hallway.

"I'll be right back, Detective Tripp!" she called.

"Stay close," Frank answered.

Danielle turned invisible and quietly followed Eric.

* * *

Eric, however, had good hearing and heard footsteps. He turned around but no one was there. No footsteps. He continued walking and the footsteps were heard again. They sounded small, like a child's footsteps. He stopped again.

Delko smiled and chuckled. "You can come out, Danielle. I know you're there."

The girl became visible. "How did you know it was me? I was as silent as can be."

Eric laughed. "Then you need new shoes. I could hear your footsteps."

"I was hoping you didn't hear that," Danielle pouted. The two started walking again.

Eric smiled. "It's part of being a cop. You have to have keen senses."

"Does my ghost sense count?"

Delko shrugged. "In cases where ghosts are involved, I guess."

As they walked past the guidance office, Danielle's ghost sense went off. "Like now?"

Eric became alert. "Yeah, like now. Go find H. Tell him Spectra is in the building."

Danielle frowned. "What about you? You can't face her alone. Let me come with you."

"I'll be fine. Don't argue with me, Danielle. Go get Horatio now!" he ordered.

The ghost girl nodded. "Just make sure she doesn't touch you." She changed into Dani and flew back to the locker room. **(Just remember, Delko hasn't connected the dots yet. He still thinks Spectra is human and a suspect)**

* * *

Delko cautiously entered the guidance office to find it suspiciously empty. Everyone couldn't have gone home already. Then again, a murder did take place in the school…

"Hello?" Eric called. "Miami-Dade Police! Anyone here?"

There was silence for a while until…

"In here!"

Delko followed the voice. Penelope Spectra was sitting in her office looking through papers. Bertrand was sitting in a chair reading a magazine. The temperature in her office was like a meat locker. Eric could see his breath. He was surprised that there wasn't any frost on the furniture.

"Can I help you?" asked Spectra.

"I'm Eric Delko, MDPD."

Spectra smiled. "Nice to meet you, Officer. I'm Penelope Spectra and this is my assistant, Bertrand."

Bertrand gave Eric a blank look and sniffed.

"I'm aware of who you are, Ms. Spectra. Was Butch Warner one of your students?" Eric asked coldly.

"Yes. Why? Is he in trouble?" Spectra asked the Cuban-American.

"No, he's not. He's dead," Eric said bluntly.

Spectra gasped. Bertrand looked up from his magazine.

"Dead?" Spectra whispered.

"Found him in the locker room with his brains blown out," said Eric.

"He committed suicide?" Spectra asked.

"Evidence suggests that it was a homicide staged to look like a suicide." Eric noticed out of the corner of his eye that Bertrand was fidgeting in his chair. He looked nervous. "Was Butch one of your students?"

"Yes, he was."

"You know this is the fifth student whose had a connection to you that's died this year? Do you know how bad that makes you look?" Eric asked seriously.

Spectra frowned. "Should I be concerned?"

"Of course you should!" Eric snapped. "As of right now, you and your dwarf are suspects in two murders!"

"Hey!" an offended Bertrand said.

Spectra's eyebrows shot straight up. "Two? Two murders?"

"Butch Warner's murder and Holly Seabrook's murder," Eric answered.

"Are you serious?" asked an annoyed Bertrand. Eric looked at Bertrand. That voice sounded so familiar. "Have you ever heard of bad luck?" That confirmed it. Bertrand sounded exactly like the hornet that chased him and Ryan in the lab.

"I know you," Eric said to the short assistant. "You attacked me in the crime lab yesterday."

Spectra stared at him and burst out laughing. "You honestly believe that Bertrand is responsible for attacking the crime lab yesterday?"

Eric looked at Spectra. "Now that I think about, your voice sounds familiar too. You attacked Lieutenant Caine yesterday as well as Sergeant Tripp and Detective Boa Vista."

Spectra smiled. "My, my! No wonder you're with the police! You figured it out with the help of your little friends." She smiled an evil toothy grin as her eyes glowed red.

This startled Eric who slowly started backing away toward the door. Bertrand, now in his true form, shut the door before Eric could get away. He watched in horror as the woman in red transformed into the same shadowy ghost that fed off his boss yesterday.

"You still feel poignant over someone you lost," Spectra cooed. "Who died? A friend? A family member?"

"Go to hell," Eric hissed.

A knock on the door was heard.

"Eric?" Horatio's voice called out. The knob on the door jiggled but it wouldn't open. Eric tried to call to Horatio but Bertrand covered his mouth. Spectra moved closer to the CSI.

"I'm going to enjoy draining you dry," Spectra whispered.

She gripped his head. Delko immediately began to suffer. He couldn't even hear himself scream. Memories of Eric's past flashed before his eyes. The day he found a dead body in a car during his days as a tow truck driver. The nightclub fire. Speed's death. Ryan's first day on the job and Eric's resentment toward him. Driving Wolfe to the hospital when he was shot in the eye with a nail gun. Him and Marisol being shot by Memmo Fierro of the Mala Noche. Marisol's death. Eric's showdown with Antonio Riaz in Brazil. Horatio's staged death. Staying with Calleigh when she suffered from smoke inhalation; even confessing his feelings for her. How many times has Eric been so close to losing her?

Spectra smiled evilly. "Well now, it seems your primary source of misery is your fear of losing everyone you love, especially a certain blonde CSI. I wonder what she is hiding underneath that pretty face of hers."

Eric glowered at her with flames of hatred visible in his eyes. "Keep. Her. Out. Of. This," he growled through gritted teeth. "It was you two this whole time. I should have known yesterday when you attacked the lab."

"Too bad you don't have enough evidence to support that theory," Bertrand stated matter-of-factly. "No jury is going to convict us."

"Maybe not in Miami, but I know one place that will convict you for killing a human," a familiar voice responded.

The two ghosts turned as Lieutenant Caine and Dani Phantom became visible.

* * *

The minute Eric entered the guidance office, Dani knew that he wouldn't last long in there without her to back him up. To make things worse, all of the ghost hunting equipment was back at the lab. The team wasn't even wearing Specter Deflectors.

"Detective Tripp!"

The bald sergeant turned around only to be bowled over by the ghost girl.

"Dani! What the hell?" Frank moaned as he sat up rubbing the back of his bald head. "Mind telling me why the hell you tackled me just now?"

"There's a ghost in the guidance office and Eric went in by himself even though I insisted that I go with him!" Dani said rather quickly.

Horatio exited the locker room in time to hear Dani's explanation. Tom wheeled the dead body out on a gurney as this was happening.

"There's a ghost in the school?" Horatio asked, making sure he heard the ghost girl right.

Dani turned to the redhead. "Frank said I could go with Eric. As we were walking past the guidance office my ghost sense went off. Eric decided to go in there by himself but I was against it. He told me to find you. I think Spectra is in the school."

Horatio's blood froze. "Dani, I want you to take me to the guidance office now!" he said in a "don't-argue-with-me" tone. "Frank, I want you to evacuate everyone in the school."

"Right, H." Frank said.

Dani led Horatio to the guidance office. The place was deserted. No Eric. Dani then heard a voice from the other side of Spectra's office door.

"You still feel poignant over someone you lost," Spectra cooed. "Who died? A friend? A family member?"

"Go to hell," Eric hissed.

Horatio knocked on the door. "Eric?" he called. He tried opening the door but it was somehow locked. What the redhead and the whitehead heard next sent chills down their spine. Eric began screaming in agony, like he was being tortured.

Horatio, knowing that he'd never get to Eric in time, looked over at Dani; anger and pleading evident in his eyes. Knowing what he was going to ask, Dani grabbed his arm and turned them both intangible. They then phased through the walls.

"No jury is going to convict us," Bertrand bragged.

"Maybe not in Miami, but I know one place that will convict you for killing a human," Horatio responded. Dani took that as her cue to make them both visible.

* * *

**If you think this is the final showdown, THINK AGAIN! I'm going to try and add in some EricXCalleigh fluff...Keyword: TRY!**

**If you're confused about Frank's ranking, he's both a sergeant and a detective.  
**

**All those memories that Eric saw were ones where he lost a loved one or was close to losing someone. Any questions about his memories? Just ask me in your reviews!  
**


	11. Memories of Heartbreak

**Not my best work but the story must go on! We now will get a glimpse of some of Calleigh's miserable memories.  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Memories of Heartbreak**

As Calleigh Duquesne was walking toward her Hummer, she noticed that several faculty members and students were running past her. She knew something was wrong; teachers don't run in high-heels unless something, or _someone_, was after the students or other members of the faculty. She looked at the evidence bag in her hands then at the school. If Horatio and the others were in trouble, someone would have called by now.

Seeing that she was practically at her car, she unlocked it, tossed the evidence bag in the back (and out of sight), locked the car again, pulled out her gun, and dashed back to the high school.

Frank was still there helping the staff evacuate the remaining students.

"Frank! What's going on?" Calleigh asked the Texan.

"Dani said there was a ghost in the guidance office," he explained. "Delko went after it. Dani was against it, but he went anyway. She and Horatio are going after the specter right now."

Calleigh's eyes became big as saucers. "And they went without the right equipment?" she asked exasperatedly. "Frank, I've read the manual for the ghost hunting equipment. Eric and Horatio are sitting ducks without them. This ghost is most likely the one that attacked the lab yesterday."

"Are you talking about the cougar that attacked me and Natalia, the hornet that chased Delko and Wolfe, or that shadow I heard attacked Horatio yesterday?" asked a very confused Frank.

"All of the above," Calleigh answered. "The hornet and the cougar are one in the same. It's a shape-shifter. The shadow can sense our emotions and feed off of them. If we don't stop these ghosts soon, Horatio and Eric will be the newest ghosts to haunt Miami."

* * *

Horatio aimed his gun at the ghosts in front of him. He knew that it wouldn't do much, but it was the only weapon he had. Dani floated next to him, her fists flaring with ecto-energy ready to strike.

Spectra dropped Eric, who at this point was barely conscious, and slowly floated toward the crime-fighting duo. "I've sampled your emotions, lieutenant. But I wonder what this little Phantom is hiding. If she's anything like Phantom then she must be as delicious as him."

She advanced towards the duo while Bertrand held onto Eric. She stopped when she heard someone jiggle the door handle again.

"Horatio? Eric? Dani?" a female voice called. The three heroes immediately recognized the voice: Calleigh.

The shadow then smiled evilly. "Now this will be interesting! Bertrand, why don't you keep our guest company? This one isn't going anywhere," she referred to a semi-conscious Delko. Dani could tell he needed medical attention. He looked like a vampire drained him dry. Bertrand dropped Eric and phased out of the room.

The next moment Dani knew, Spectra pinned Dani against the wall. The girl started screaming. Horatio fired a warning shot into the ceiling to get Spectra's attention. The moment Spectra's attention went to Horatio, Dani became intangible and phased through the wall.

"No! I was so close! I only got a taste of the trauma that that girl endured!" Spectra shrieked.

"Stay out of my head!" Dani yelled as she phased back into the room and landed a punch in Spectra's jaw.

Spectra smiled a little. "Got a small taste of trauma. I wonder what happened that traumatized you so much?"

"None of your business!" Dani shouted back. Spectra fired a ghost ray at her, knocking the ghost girl to the ground.

"Dani!" Horatio called. He didn't remember the last time he's felt this useless. Shooting at the ghost was not only pointless but also risky on Dani's part.

Spectra fired another ghost ray at Dani.

"DANI!" Horatio shouted.

Dani, knowing she wouldn't be able to turn intangible in time, just raised her arms in front of her face (in a defensive position) and closed her eyes.

* * *

Calleigh was storming back into the building. Of all the reckless things Eric has done, this was the most reckless. He should have known that regular bullets wouldn't affect ghosts.

She entered the guidance office and found it empty but she heard voices coming from one of the rooms. Calleigh tried opening the door but it wouldn't open.

"Horatio? Eric? Dani?" she called. Moments later, a blob phased out of the room and stared at Calleigh. She gasped at the sight of the creature. _'Natalia wasn't kidding! It really is a blob.'_ A young girl's screams could be heard from the other side of the door. Horatio's gun was heard. Calleigh pulled out her gun and aimed it at the blob. "Miami-Dade Police! Hands where I can see them!"

The monster laughed. "You seriously believe that I would raise my hands and peacefully surrender to you? Don't even try to put cuffs on me. They'll just go right through my wrists," he taunted.

Calleigh wasn't going to back down that easily. "You better let me in that room right now or I'll shoot you," she threatened.

The blob laughed again. "Bullets go right through me, Britney! You're just as dumb as any other blonde!"

To the monster's surprise, Calleigh smirked. "Everyone thinks they're clever when they call me stuff like that. But you know? It's not that funny!" She struck the creature with the butt of her gun. Unfortunately, the gun became stuck in his body. She pulled at it and tried to free it from his slimy grip.

"You really are a dumb blonde," he taunted. Dani's ghost ray was fired at him, freeing Calleigh's gun. The ghost girl then phased back into the office.

"Yeah?" said Calleigh. "Well then I'm a dumb blonde who is about to kick your slimy green ass." She pulled out a taser gun.

Bertrand, thinking it's just another plain old gun, laughed again. "How many times do you have to hear it? Bullets can't hurt me."

Calleigh grabbed a water bottle that was sitting on the front desk and splashed Bertrand with water. She then fired her taser gun before he had a chance to retaliate. The result was instantaneous. Bertrand screamed in agony as volts of electricity ran through his amorphous body. His body then burst, splashing the room and the Southern Beauty with green slime.

"Oh, gross!" she cried. Who knew how long it was going to take to get this stuff out of her hair.

Spectra the phased out of the room, completely out of it. She looked around the office, seeing the mess and realized what happened.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" she shrieked.

"What did I do to him?" Calleigh repeated. "I gave him what he deserved. He should have known better than to mess with a _smart_ blonde."

Spectra growled and tackled Calleigh to the ground. The ballistics expert began suffering the moment she hit the floor.

Calleigh, like Horatio and Eric, saw memories of her past flash before her eyes. She saw the memories of her parents' brutal divorce. All those nights of driving her alcoholic father home from the bar. Hearing the gun that ended John Hagan's life (it was a suicide) in the ballistics lab. Her attraction to Special Agent Peter Elliott shattered upon learning that he was engaged and he didn't tell her. Jake Berkeley charging extra mimosas on her tab, calling her sobriety in question after being attacked by a pair of thugs. Sitting by Eric's bedside while recovering from a gunshot to the head. Finding out who supposedly shot Horatio. Shooting at a suspect fleeing the scene of a crime only to see that the suspect is Eric Delko. Helping Horatio search the Everglades for Eric after the getaway car crashes. How guilty she felt upon learning that it was him whom she shot. So many tears were shed over that. All these memories were ones that broke her heart.

Spectra's feeding was interrupted when a ghost ray struck her, knocking her off of Calleigh.

"Get away from her!" Dani called.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tom returned to the morgue and was looking at all the dead bodies from Lenore High School. After getting a warrant and permission from the parents, the first three suicide victims were exhumed. All three deaths were ruled suicides but on closer inspection Tom discovered that that wasn't the case. The kids also had similar injuries as Butch Warner and Holly Seabrook: their bodies appeared to have been drained to the point where they couldn't move.

The first victim, a seventeen-year-old boy, died of an overdose of cough syrup. Tom performed an autopsy on him and discovered that the kid was force-fed the medicine. Bruising on his arms show that the kid resisted his attackers. The bruising was overlooked because he was on the wrestling team.

The second victim, a fifteen-year-old boy, died by jumping off a bridge. Tom discovered large bruises on the kid's back, indicating he was pushed. No one noticed them.

The third victim, an eighteen-year-old girl, died by slitting her wrists. Someone or something held her arms down, Tom discovered, causing bruises to appear on them.

Bottom-line: the bruising on all these kids was caused peri-mortem. They were murdered by whatever killed Holly and Butch.

Ryan came in. "Hey, Tom! Get anything from the first three victims?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Tom replied proudly. "I got a closer look at them and discovered they had the same things as Holly Seabrook and Butch Warner. All three were drained to the point where they can't move."

"They were killed by that shadow monster," Ryan realized.

"The one that attacked Horatio yesterday?"

"The same one. It's actually a ghost that feeds off of people's negative emotions," Ryan explained.

Tom furrowed his eyebrows. "Feeding off a person's emotions…sounds like a vampire."

"Dani said the same thing."

"If the shadow is after humans' negative emotions then what about those weird green animals?"

"Natalia and Calleigh think the hornet and the cougar are one in the same. Natalia saw the cougar turn into an amorphous blob of ectoplasm," Ryan answered.

"Glad Walter didn't see any of it," Tom muttered.

Ryan's cell phone started ringing. It was Frank.

"Wolfe? You better get your ass to Lenore High School. Horatio and the others got pretty banged up," Frank said grimly.

"What the hell happened?" Ryan asked concerned.

"That stupid pile of glowing Jell-o struck again! It attacked Delko and Calleigh."

Ryan's eyes went wide. "Again? Are they okay?"

"Yeah, they'll live. But Delko is more beat up than Calleigh. Paramedics sent Delko to the hospital. They let Calleigh go. If Dani hadn't interfered, she would be just as bad as Delko," said Frank.

"What about Horatio? Is he okay?"

"He's not hurt but he's pretty pissed," Frank replied bluntly. "Make sure you come prepared if you know what I mean."

"Got it. Thanks Frank." Ryan ended the call. He then turned to Tom. "Looks like our two ghostly friends struck again. They attacked Calleigh and Eric."

Tom's eyebrows rose. "Are they alright?"

"Yeah, they'll be fine. I gotta bring some ghost hunting equipment with me in case they come back," Ryan answered. He left the morgue and went to the ballistics lab where the ghost hunting equipment was stored.

* * *

**Don't worry, folks! Everyone will be alright!**

**Relax, Bertrand is not dead...again.  
**

**What happened to Dani and Horatio? You'll have to wait and see in the next chapter.  
**

**Review, would ya? I've been lacking them lately!  
**


	12. A New Power

**It's about time! It was NOT easy writing this chapter! I want a lot of reviews! I put my blood, sweat and ectoplasm into this!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**A New Power**

Dani, knowing she wouldn't be able to turn intangible in time, just raised her arms in front of her face (in a defensive position) and closed her eyes.

It never came. No blast, no pain, no losing consciousness, nothing. Dani opened one green eye and saw to her surprise that she was in a dome of green energy. _'What's going on? How did this happen? What is this?'_ The dome of energy slowly dissolved away.

Spectra sneered at the girl. "So you CAN defend yourself! How annoying!" She became intangible and phased out of the room.

Dani was still in shock about what just happened. She looked at her hands. "What just happened?"

Horatio lowered his gun. "I wish I knew. You were about to be blasted to kingdom come when a dome of green energy suddenly appeared."

"It protected me?"

"Yes. Have you been able to do that before?"

Dani shook her head. "This has never happened before. I wonder if it's a new ghost power?"

Horatio looked at the floor. "Can Mr. Fenton do that?"

Dani thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, he can. I remember him doing it when Vlad fought him in Colorado. It's some kind of ectoplasmic energy shield," she explained, trying to sound professional.

"In other words, a ghost shield," Horatio clarified.

A scream interrupted their brief conversation. Calleigh was in trouble! Horatio picked up an unconscious Eric and Dani phased the three of them out of Spectra's office. They discovered to their horror that Spectra had Calleigh pinned to the floor feeding off of her. Dani fired a ghost ray at the shadow, blasting her off of the Southern Beauty.

"Get away from her!" Dani called.

Spectra turned to face Dani. She looked pissed. "How dare you! I was in the middle of feeding! I wasn't even done going through her memories!"

Dani folded her arms. "Some memories are better left forgotten."

Spectra fired a direct hit at Dani. Noticing her aim improved she smiled. "Look's like I've obtained her aiming ability. Let's see if I can hit that pathetic redhead." She fired a ghost ray at the lieutenant and the unconscious Cuban. Dani zoomed over to Horatio and put up a ghost shield in front of them.

"Stay away from them!" Dani demanded.

Spectra growled. "Fine. I'll leave for now but I'll be back for more. Bertrand!" she sang. The ectoplasm all over the office started moving and gathered near Spectra, including the slime all over Calleigh. The blob returned to its original state. "We're leaving Bertrand," Spectra stated. The two then faded away.

* * *

Detective Tim Speedle was rather intrigued by the suicide Danielle and her friends mentioned yesterday. He finally decided to investigate when some gravediggers came and dug up someone's grave. When they left, Speed went over to the gravesite to see that the body of a seventeen-year-old boy was buried there. A passing ghost gave him a tip saying the kid was the first of many who were murdered and was staged to look like a suicide. Intrigued, Speed flew to the other cemeteries and saw that two more graves were dug up. Both of them were teenagers. Knowing it couldn't be a coincidence Speed went into the Ghost Zone to gather information.

Normally he would've gone straight to Angell and Burn Detective Agency first but something in his gut told him to first go to the Ghost Zone Prison instead.

A light blue ghost with scars on his body appeared in front of the front entrance. "What are you doing here, Speedle?" he asked. "Come to bail another ghost out of prison?"

Speed smiled at the ghost. "Bullet! Nice to see you again. Why you're called that, I'll never know. You don't even use guns."

The ghost called Bullet scowled at the dead CSI. "Watch your mouth, Detective. The only reason you're not locked up here is because you're a former police officer."

Speed shrugged. "I always thought it was because of my charming personality."

"You're as cocky as Walker is, I'll give you that," Bullet said blankly.

"Is the warden in?" Speed asked. "I have a question for him and it can't wait till the next Triple Crown winner."

Bullet frowned. "Fine. I'll see if he's available." Several minutes later, Bullet reappeared. "He's in," he growled. Speed loved pissing Bullet off and getting away with it. He followed Bullet to Walker's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Speed entered Walker's office. "Afternoon, Walker. Still treating misdemeanors like felonies?"

Walker scowled. "I'll let that slide for now. What do you want, Speedle?"

"Ever get ghosts of kids who commit suicide?" Speed asked, getting right to the point.

Walker frowned. "Of course not. Spirits of suicide victims are condemned for eternity. Even you should know that."

"I'm aware of that," said Speed. "Do you convict ghosts that kill?"

"It all depends on how many victims the ghost kills," Walker explained. "If they go over a certain number of victims they go to the Observants. You think a ghost is committing a series of murders in Miami? That town is your haunt, right?"

"Yeah, I haunt Miami. The other day I heard that a teenager died under mysterious circumstances. I was interested so here I am," Tim summarized. "I heard from some of the local ghosts that other kids have died in a similar manner for the past few months. I even saw the MDPD digging up said kids' graves today. Their deaths were ruled as suicides."

"You think a ghost is targeting teenagers?" asked Walker.

"By the looks of it, yes."

"You might want to look at Spectra and her assistant Bertrand," said Walker. "She feeds off of misery in people, preferably teenagers."

"What about Ember? Doesn't she also target teens?" asked Speed.

"No, she just hates anyone over thirty. Besides, she's been on probation for the past three weeks."

"Probation? For what?"

"Trying to recreate Woodstock without a permit. Don't ask."

"O…kay," Speed said slowly. "So how can I stop Spectra from feeding off of the rest of the teenagers of Miami?"

"Expose her for the hag that she really is. I've been trying to collar her since she tried to make the Ghost Kid's sister see fireworks if you know what I mean," said Walker.

"I'm aware of the Casper High Spirit Week incident," Speed said coolly. "I'm surprised that you cared."

Walker scowled. "I don't," he said through gritted teeth. "Taking the life of a human being; that's against the rules. I'll arrest any ghost that takes a human life."

"Yet you'll overshadow and manipulate an entire community to get your hands on one teenager," Speed retorted.

Walker growled. "You better watch your mouth, Speedle or we're going to have a problem," he threatened.

"Relax. I'll hand Spectra over as soon as I find her."

"You better."

Speed went to the door to leave. Before he opened the door, he turned to Walker one more time. "You know, you'd probably get more respect around here if you had a breath mint."

* * *

Calleigh sat at Delko's bedside while he slept. The doctors assured her that he was fine and was just suffering from exhaustion but wanted to keep him overnight for observation. It was understandable. Spectra did dig up a lot of Delko's bad memories. With that bullet shard in his brain affecting his memories, it was best that everything was in check. Eric already had an MRI upon arrival. Nothing seemed out of place by the looks of it.

This kind of reminded Calleigh of when she suffered from smoke inhalation a few years ago. Eric sat at her bedside and talked to her while she rested. Calleigh thought she dreamt him confess his feelings to her but he assured her that it was real. He even left his watch on her wrist to show that he was there. The memory of that moment always made her blush.

"Sorry about what happened at the high school," Calleigh said to a sleeping Eric. "If it makes you feel any better she got me too. I already feel gloomy, having to see all those bitter memories of my past flash before my eyes. Dani stepped in and that shadow wasn't able to see all of my memories. She and the Jell-o Monster are still in the wind but we'll get them."

The only response she got was the beeping of the heart monitor next to him.

Calleigh sighed. "It was pretty reckless and stupid of you to go in without backup. You could have brought me for backup. I know it might not have made much of a difference but still.

"Don't underestimate Dani. I know she's a kid but she also has superpowers. She's a lot stronger than she looks. I know she likes you. She won't stop teasing me about our relationship. When you get back she'll probably start teasing you too."

Calleigh's phone started vibrating. She checked it and saw that she had a text message from Walter.

"Gotta go. Walter needs me back at the lab. I'll be back after my shift, okay? I promise." Before she left, though, Calleigh gave Eric a kiss on the cheek. It wasn't enough to cheer her up though.

* * *

Horatio watched as paramedics wheeled Eric into an ambulance. Calleigh was being checked on to make sure she was all right. Since Dani interrupted Spectra's feeding, Calleigh wasn't as wiped out as Eric.

Horatio wasn't surprised that Eric went alone to deal with Spectra. Eric always seized the opportunity to apprehend a suspect. He would have said that it could have been the only chance to catch her in the act.

Right now, Horatio was just pissed off. Every cop hates it when a suspect flees and gets away. What's worse, Eric almost wound up like the other victims. That made it personal for Horatio. Eric was in a way his best friend. The two always had each other's backs.

Horatio watched as Calleigh hopped into her Hummer and followed the ambulance as it left the parking lot. Natalia and Ryan soon pulled up. They got out and brought a large box of ghost hunting equipment.

"H!" Ryan called. "Got the call from Frank. Is everyone okay?"

"Yes but Spectra and her sidekick got away," Horatio growled.

Natalia pulled out a silver belt and put it on. She then gave one to Ryan and Frank. She got another one out to give to Horatio.

"This is the Specter Deflector. Ghosts can't touch you as long as you wear it. If they try, they're in for the shock of their afterlives," Natalia explained.

"Give Eric and Calleigh one as soon as possible," Horatio answered. "I don't want a repeat of what happened today."

Horatio sent Dani home and then went back into the school with his team to process what's left of the guidance office.

When Dani got home, Yelina told her that her cousin called and left a message for the Ghost Girl.

* * *

**I just finished watching the season finale of CSI:NY! I CRIED throughout the whole episode! I hope they renew the show. I heard it's - what my dad calls - "on the chopping block". They can't cancel NY! It's one of two reasons why I still watch CBS (guess what the other reason is!).**

**Keep those reviews coming! It hurts my feelings everyday when I don't get a review. :(**

**As for Dani's new power, I did some researching and discovered that she never learned the ghost shield like Danny. So, I thought since Dani's a growing girl...clone...halfa...whatever, her powers also need to grow!  
**


	13. Connections

**Whoot! New chapter! Bear with me if this chapter is a little short.  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Connections**

Danielle went to her room (it used to be the guest room) and dialed Danny's cell phone number. After a few rings there was an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi Danny! It's me."

"Danielle! Hey, where were you?" asked Danny.

Danielle plopped on her bed. "I was at Lenore High School. Spectra and her sidekick attacked Eric and Calleigh."

"Spectra attacked who?"

"Horatio's friends."

"Oh. Are you guys okay?" asked Danny.

"Yeah. We're all fine. Spectra got away though," Danielle answered sadly.

Static was heard on the other line, making Danielle guess that Danny sighed. "That's understandable. Her assistant gave me the slip when I fought him. When he got away he left me in what's left of a school office."

"Well, our fight pretty much demolished the guidance office."

"At least you're not in high school yet. Otherwise you might have been blamed for it," Danny said bitterly as he remembered his first encounter with Spectra and Bertrand. "Anyway that's not why I called. I didn't want to say anything about it today in front of Lieutenant Caine."

"What is it you want to talk about?" asked Danielle.

"WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH ALL THIS 'INVISI-BELLE' NONSENSE? Tucker just sent me a link from the 'Miami Herald' website and it was an article about you!" Danny exclaimed.

Danielle cringed inwardly. _'I was afraid he'd flip out like this.'_ "What did the article say?"

"It said that you're a vigilante armed with hidden weapons or something like that," Danny explained bluntly. "The whole story sounded ridiculous so I deleted it."

"I'm none of that!" Danielle exclaimed. "I've been helping the police with cases involving ghosts. Nothing else, honest!"

"Are you sure?" Danny asked in a stern big brother tone.

"Positive," Danielle confirmed.

"Alright. Now who is this 'Hellish Holly' girl that I've heard about? And before you ask, Tucker did some digging and found out about her reputation."

Danielle sighed. "She's my friend Gwen's cousin who was murdered yesterday. She's called that because she beats up everyone who teases her. She could probably break Dash Baxter's leg like a twig!"

Danny whistled. "Wow. Wish I could have met her. I would have hired her to be my bodyguard."

"Holly was also stood up for the bullied," Danielle continued. "But she often got in trouble for it. Other students even put her in 'compromising positions' for the teachers to see…whatever that means."

"I'll…uh…I'll tell you when you're older," Danny stammered. Danielle pouted into the phone. She hated it when people gave her those kinds of answers. "Anyway, I also heard that she had marijuana in her locker. Is that true?"

"Gwen told me it was oregano for her cooking class. She even showed me. I know what marijuana is, thank you very much," Danielle assured her "cousin". Ryan was kind enough to show Danielle pictures of what certain drugs looked like during one of her visits to the lab.

"Didn't you mention that one of your friends' relatives is in jail?" asked Danny.

"Luna. Her dad is in prison because he's in a gang that deals with drugs or something like that," Danielle explained.

"I thought you said that was her uncle."

"Him too. He's in jail just for doing drugs."

"As long as you're not getting in trouble," Danny muttered.

"I'm not," Danielle said. "By the way, I think I learned a new ghost power."

"Really? Which one?"

"I think I learned how to make a shield."

"You learned the Ghost Shield? Awesome!" Danny exclaimed. "I'm so proud!" he added jokingly.

"Yeah. Spectra tried to attack me and I thought I was a goner. The next thing I knew a dome of green light surrounded me," Danielle explained.

"Yep. That's the Ghost Shield."

"Any idea where I could practice my powers?" Danielle asked out of the blue. "I have no idea where to practice."

"What about the Everglades?" asked Danny.

Danielle face-palmed. "Are you forgetting how I wound up living in Miami in the first place?" she asked dully.

"…Oh. Right."

"Clueless," Danielle said.

"Hey! I don't need to hear that from you. I get enough from Sam and Tucker," said Danny.

Danielle giggled. "Couldn't help it."

"Whatever…Oh! Gotta go! Mom's calling me for dinner," Danny said.

"May God be with you," Danielle replied. Danny has told her multiple stories of Maddie Fenton's Dinner from the Black Lagoon stories.

"Gee, thanks," Danny answered sarcastically. "Talk to you later."

"Bye Danny!" The call ended. She looked at the phone. Danny must be worried about her. Miami is not just famous for its beaches and vacation getaways. Crime has been pretty high for a while. The city has been dealing with drug dealers, gangs, the mafia, and Cuban immigrants for years. It's only natural that Danny is worried about Danielle.

* * *

Calleigh entered the computer room where Walter was waiting for her.

"Hey Walter," she sighed.

"Hi Cal. What's wrong with you?" asked a concerned Walter.

"I just became the shadow ghost's next meal," Calleigh groaned.

Walter winced. "Yeah. I heard what happened at the school. Anyone hurt?"

"Besides me and Eric no."

Walter did a double-take at the mentioning of Eric's name. "Delko? No way!" he said skeptically.

"Yes way. She drained him where he couldn't move. Dani and Horatio managed to stop her before she could finish the job," Calleigh explained gravely. "The shape-shifter tried to attack me but I took care of him. The shadow then came and tackled me to the floor when she saw what I did. She only got halfway through my memories when Dani interfered again. I blacked out after that."

"Yikes! Are there any more of those anti-ghost belts? I don't wanna be next," said Walter.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Calleigh replied. She handed a Specter Deflector to Walter who quickly put it on.

"So, I looked into that serial number you sent me," Walter started. "I have to admit it took me awhile to understand what it was and what you meant."

"Sorry. After our shadowy friend killed the vic in the locker room, she went to Eric for seconds," Calleigh explained. "I guess I was dessert."

Walter cringed at the thought. He shook his head and returned to the task at hand. "Anyway, I ran the serial number through the system and I got one match." A person's record appeared on the screen. "The gun used to kill the victim is registered to a Dr. Robert Rand…" he trailed off.

Calleigh looked at Walter bemused. "Name rings a bell?"

"Refresh my memory Cal. What are some nicknames for Robert?"

Calleigh shifted her eyes, confused at the question. "Well there's Rob, Robbie, Bob, Bobby, Bert…"

Walter snapped his fingers. "That one! Bert! You think people call this guy Bert for short?"

Calleigh thought about it for a moment. "Bert…Rand. Bertrand. Bertrand! You think this gun is registered to Penelope Spectra's assistant?"

"Makes sense. This can't be more than a coincidence. I think those two are more involved in these cases than we think," Walter concluded. "I'm pretty sure Dr. Robert Rand is an alias."

The blonde CSI nodded. "That makes sense. I'll call Horatio. He'll want to know about this." She smiled. "Thanks Walter. That actually cheered me up a little."

* * *

Horatio got a call from the hospital saying that Eric was awake. He quickly drove over there to see him. Hopefully he saw something that would put this whole puzzle together.

"Eric?"

The Cuban looked over and saw Horatio standing in the doorway. He smiled. "H. What's going on? Did you catch the ghost?"

Horatio looked at the floor as he entered the room. "Alas, Eric, no. She got away," he growled.

Eric sighed in frustration. "She's a ghost. Penelope Spectra is a ghost and her little assistant is one too."

"Danny Fenton mentioned that to me today when I contacted him. Looks like you just confirmed it," said Horatio.

"What about the other kids?" asked Eric. "Did she kill them too?"

Horatio sighed. "I'm afraid so. Ryan told me about Dr. Loman's findings. All five of them were murdered. This ghost is our killer."

"Does everyone else know?"

"I just told them," said Horatio. "Calleigh just called me and said that the gun used to kill the fifth victim is registered to a Dr. Robert Rand. She and Walter believe that it's an alias for Bertrand, Spectra's assistant."

It was Eric's turn to sigh. "How are we going to put the gun in Bertrand's hands? He's a shape-shifter. Gunshot residue is probably gone."

Horatio looked at the floor again and smirked. "That doesn't mean that all of it is gone."

* * *

**It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that CBS has cancelled CSI: Miami! Luckily they renewed CSI: NY. RIP Miami!**

**Please review while I curl up in a corner and cry my eyes out! WAAAAAAAAAAA!  
**

**Long live CSI: Miami!  
**


	14. Something to Look Forward To

**Okay I'm done crying about CSI Miami being cancelled! Just because the show is over for good doesn't mean I'll stop writing fanfic about it!  
**

**Rip a page from the book of jeanette9a and review! What's the holdup? Please review! I'll give you a cookie if you do! I don't mean to sound demanding but it hurts my feelings when you don't review. :(  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Something to Look Forward To**

The next day Danielle met with her friends in the cafeteria before school since it was raining outside (Yelina gave her a ride). She filled them in about what happened at Lenore High School.

"I knew it!" Gwen exclaimed cheerfully. "I knew Holly didn't commit suicide! It was a ghost the whole time."

"Hold on!" Leila interrupted. "You're saying you have a new power?" she asked Danielle.

"Yeah but it's nothing special. It's just a shield," Danielle said modestly.

Leila shrugged. "Hey, a power is a power."

"So have you perfected this new power?" asked Luna.

"Uh…" Danielle hesitated.

"That's a no," Leila concluded.

"Well, where do you suggest I practice?" Danielle asked.

Leila opened her mouth to respond but closed it when she realized that there was no place for Danielle to practice her powers.

"Where can she practice?" Luna asked.

"Anywhere but the Everglades," Gwen muttered. The four friends agreed on that. Their experience there was traumatizing. The four of them met when Skulker abducted Danielle from the crime lab. The four of them fought back and escaped into the Glades.

"Hey Gwen!" a familiar voice called to them. "I heard another kid at your dead cousin's school died yesterday. Did her spirit come back to haunt the place?"

Gwen clenched her fists in anger. Leila decided to step in. "No, Alexis. But if her cousin's spirit came back she'd probably haunt you until you loose your sanity…if you ever had any to begin with."

The bell rang before anyone could make a smart-aleck comeback.

* * *

Eric came into the lab the moment the hospital let him go. Despite the fact that he got a good night sleep, he still felt drained and miserable. As a precaution, Horatio decided to keep him in the lab for today instead of out in the field.

Calleigh looked tired and less perky than usual. In fact, there was less color in her cheeks and her hair was disheveled. No matter how much make-up she wore, bags were visible under her eyes.

She was sitting in the lounge when Natalia came in. Natalia nearly spilled her coffee when she saw her friend and coworker.

"Calleigh? Are you okay?" asked Natalia.

Calleigh looked up. "Huh? What?"

Natalia was taken aback at her appearance. "God, you look like you didn't get a wink of sleep! You look like something the cat dragged in!"

"Sorry…" Calleigh trailed off. "I'm thinking Spectra's attack did more damage to me than I thought."

Natalia sighed. "Welcome to my world. I've still been feeling down but I don't look like an extra from 'Dawn of the Dead'. I'm still surprised that your attacker is that peppy redhead I interrogated two days ago. I'm also surprised that she also fed off of my emotions and memories."

"Horatio told you about Spectra's identity?"

"He filled us in after you and Eric left. You should see Walter right now. He's wearing enough spiritual charms to start his own shop! That lifted my spirits, no pun intended," said Natalia. "Ryan can't stopped laughing." She tried to chuckle but the smile she tried to make returned to a depressed frown.

Realization fell on Calleigh like a ton of bricks. "You realize that Ryan, Walter, Frank, and Tom are the only ones who haven't been fed off of?"

"Bertrand tried to attack Frank. Does that count?" asked Natalia.

"I'm talking about Spectra. From what Horatio said only she does the feeding," Calleigh replied. "Bertrand taunts Spectra's victims. He tries to add fuel to the fire by making people feel inferior and dependant on others. When Bertrand attacked the precinct the other day, did Spectra ever appear?"

Natalia thought for a moment. "No. Just Bertrand. Well, Dani came in to stop him but they're the only ghosts who were in the precinct. I don't recall seeing a shadow attacking us."

Calleigh thought back on the first attack.

_Spectra turned her head to see Calleigh, Ryan and Eric aiming ecto-guns at her. She inhaled and grinned. "You three are bursting with misery. I sense several miserable emotions." She looked at Eric. "Deception, heartbreak, jealousy, loss, betrayal, fury and more loss. Yes, lots of loss." She looked at Calleigh. "Lots of heartbreak and betrayal for you too along with indecisiveness, and plenty of guilt." Spectra then laid her eyes on Wolfe. "Inferiority, guilt, betrayal, loss, anger, and a lot of shame."_

Calleigh then thought back on yesterday's attack. Spectra attacked Eric and then turned her attention towards Calleigh in that order. Unless she was mistaken, Ryan could be the next victim.

* * *

Danielle and her friends walked to the strip mall again to continue expanding Danielle's personality. The weather cleared up a little but still looked like it could still rain.

"So do you think Spectra is going to strike again?" Gwen asked worriedly.

Danielle nodded. "Without a doubt," she said grimly.

"How will Lieutenant Caine fight against a ghost?" Luna asked. "Is he going to use those strange weapons like before?"

"Yeah, it's the best way to fight against ghosts," Danielle said. She then groaned. "How am I going to fight Spectra without touching her?"

Leila rolled her eyes. "Duh! Use your ghost ray on her. You'll be able to beat her into an ectoplasmic pulp in no time. And with that new shield power of yours she won't be able to lay a finger on you."

Gwen frowned. "What about Bertrand? Danielle still has to deal with him. How is she going to fight two ghosts at once?"

Danielle cringed at the thought. She's only battled one-on-one. _'How does Danny do it?'_ Danny is able to fight several ghosts at once and come out on top.

Her ghost sense went off. She quickly looked around but saw no one. Her friends also saw it and became alert. All they heard was the sound of a barking puppy. Danielle turned toward the source of the sound only to be tackled by it. A glowing green puppy wearing a spiked collar started licking Danielle's face nonstop.

"Ack! Get him off me!" she sputtered.

Danielle's three friends took one look at the ghost puppy and went, "Awwwww…"

Luna picked him up and squeezed him. "He's so cute! I didn't know there were cute ghosts like him." The puppy started licking her face too.

Gwen started scratching behind his ears. Danielle stood up, her face covered in green dog drool.

"Ugh! Note to self: never ask Yelina if I could get a pet," she muttered to herself as she wiped the drool off her face.

Luna looked at the puppy's nametags. "It says that his name is Cujo," she stated.

This took Leila by surprise. "Cujo? Like from Stephen King's novel?"

"Yeah."

Danielle noticed something tucked underneath Cujo's collar. "What's this?" She pulled what appeared to be a note:

_**I spoke with Speedy last night. He knows where you can train in peace. Head to the cemetery after school and he'll take you there. Send Cujo back when he finds you. He'll probably want to come back to me anyway. Good luck.**_

_**Phantom**_

_**P.S. Once you defeat Spectra, let me know. I'm going to try to come and spend the day with you over the weekend. Hopefully my parents won't ground me again for breaking curfew.**_

Danielle gasped as she read the note. She then started squealing and jumping up and down. She had the biggest smile on her face. Her friends noticed this.

"What did the note say?" asked Gwen.

"Speedy knows where I can train my powers! But that's not what I'm excited about!" Danielle exclaimed gleefully.

"Well quit hopping like someone with a sugar rush and tell us!" said Leila.

"Danny might be coming to Miami for a day to see me!"

Now all of her friends were excited.

"When is he coming?" Luna asked.

"Hopefully this weekend if I catch Spectra," said Danielle.

"And he's coming for the day to see you?" Gwen asked. Danielle nodded.

"How is he going to get all the way to Miami, Florida from Amity Park, Indiana?" asked Leila skeptically. "If he's just visiting to spend the day with you, what's the point of buying a plane ticket just to spend a few hours here then go back?"

Danielle smiled. "He has a friend that can literally claw his way in and out of the Ghost Zone. Danny will be able to come see me and get back home in time to have a movie marathon at his friend, Sam's, house."

Gwen became excited. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to the cemetery!" she declared. The four girls then raced off to the cemetery with Cujo following close behind them.

* * *

Spectra looked at a board with the CSI's photos displayed on it. She's already sampled Natalia Boa Vista's emotions: abuse and deception. It seemed rather clichéd now that Spectra thought about it. Lots of women are abused and deceive other people. True, she didn't look at Miss Boa Vista's memories but she sensed that her memories were like any other abused woman in the world.

Sergeant Frank Tripp had been through what several men in the country went through: divorce. That alone would make any man miserable. That emotion alone was becoming far too common for Spectra's tastes.

Spectra sensed loss, betrayal and a bit of trauma in CSI Walter Simmons. It wasn't strong like the other CSI's so Spectra assumed that he's lead an overall good life. Nothing miserable in his past as far as she was concerned **(Walter hasn't been on the show long enough for me to know all about him)**.

Ryan Wolfe was someone Spectra hadn't sampled yet. So far she's gotten a keener eye for detail from Lieutenant Caine and Eric Delko and her aim has improved tenfold ever since she fed off of Calleigh Duquesne (Spectra tested these new abilities on poor Bertrand). Spectra wondered what Ryan Wolfe was hiding. She sensed a lot of shame from him. Whatever he did must have made him pretty miserable.

Eric Delko was quite a catch. He obviously has a close bond with the team, especially with Calleigh and Horatio. Spectra shifted through his memories and learned why she sensed so much loss in him. His best friend was shot in a bank robbery. He feared for Ryan Wolfe's life when he was shot in the eye with a nail gun. A member of the Mala Noche shot him and his sister and only Eric came out of it alive. He even almost lost his own life when he was shot in the head but lost a few months of memories instead. He and the rest of the team thought their boss and friend, Horatio, was shot and killed at the local airport. Luckily it was all an act to fool one of his enemies. He almost lost Calleigh when she collapsed while interrogating a suspect about a fire that broke out. So much of Delko's life as a cop involved him losing someone he cared about.

These memories made Spectra's mouth water.

Calleigh Duquesne had experienced a bit of heartbreak throughout her life. Any child would be miserable if they had to witness their parents going through a brutal divorce. That's what Calleigh went through. Now she had to drive her alcoholic yet caring father home from a bar because he would be too drunk to do it himself. Detective John Hagan's suicide in the ballistics lab took a toll on her as well as Horatio (Hagan was Raymond Caine's partner prior to his death). Her relationship with Jake Berkeley seemed to go on and off. They officially called it off after Internal Affairs caught wind of their relationship…and because Jake charged a few extra drinks on Calleigh's tab behind her back. She seemed happiest with Eric Delko. However, their relationship had hit several snags over the recent years. She once accidently shot him when he was fleeing the scene of a crime with his estranged father. Knowing that he was lurking out in the Everglades hurt and alone caused a lot of grief on her part. Learning he was a spy for the District Attorney's office put their relationship on hold for a while.

Lieutenant Horatio Caine was the most interesting. His whole life had been nothing but one miserable train wreck since day one **(I've already explained his painful past. I don't want to do it again)**. He wasn't afraid of bending the rules to get justice for the victims and their families. How many times has he held a dying man's hand? He wasn't afraid of using force to get a suspect to talk. What Spectra wouldn't give to see more from that man's past!

What Spectra wanted to know more about was Dani Phantom's past. She only caught a hint of misery and trauma from the ghost girl the other day but she also sensed doubt, fear, and rejection.

Bertrand came in and noticed Spectra gazing at the photos of the CSI's. He rolled his eyes. "If you don't control yourself, one of these days you'll have to go on a diet if you feed off of too many people," he warned.

* * *

**Y'all have been asking for it so I'll throw you a bone! Danny will come visit Dani at the end of the story. It gives you guys something to look forward to! Am I great or what?**

**Why aren't you guys reviewing? Only jeanette9a has been kind enough to keep reviewing (which I must thank you by the way). I know a lot of people aren't fond of Mary-Sue's and OCs but I thought I should include them so Dani could have friends her own age (physically speaking). Is that why a lot of you have stopped reviewing? *goes back to the corner and sulks*  
**


	15. Practice Makes Perfect

**Thank you so much for reviewing! You know I love it when you review so keep it up!  
**

**I couldn't stop laughing when I wrote this chapter! Hope you think it's funny!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Practice Makes Perfect**

Danielle and her friends (plus Cujo) eventually made it to the cemetery where Tim Speedle was waiting for them. Upon seeing that there was a certain ghost dog with them he moaned.

"Oh, great. Him," he complained.

The girls looked at Cujo and then at Speed.

"What's wrong with Cujo?" Danielle asked.

"Besides the fact that he can become the size of a Hummer if you get him even a little angry, everything!" he replied.

Leila seemed to like this. "Cool! I wonder if he'll eat my brother..."

"No," her friends dully said in unison.

Speed then got to the topic at hand. "Alright. I managed to locate an abandoned warehouse for Danielle to practice her fighting. Phantom came to me yesterday and asked me to find a training ground for her."

"Won't the police find us?" asked Luna. "They'll probably arrest us for trespassing."

Gwen then began to pout. "Yeah. And what about us? We don't want to be left out on all the fun!"

Speed groaned and buried his face in his hand. "Why did I sign up for this?" he asked himself. He looked at the girls. "Don't worry, girls. I managed to find some ghost hunting equipment that's suitable for kids twelve and under."

Luna cleared her throat, reminding the dead detective that she's in fact thirteen.

Speed rolled his eyes. "You're an exception," he said to the Hispanic girl. "It's only fair that you get the same kind of weapons as everyone else." Luna pouted at that.

"So, how are we going to get to this warehouse?" asked Danielle.

Speed looked at the four girls. "Danielle, go ghost." Danielle did so without question. Speed then looked at Cujo. "Think this mutt can provide transportation?"

Cujo then grew to the size of a Hummer like Speedle said he would. The three human girls screamed at the puppy's transformation.

"I liked him better when he was smaller!" Luna cried.

"Now I know why my dad hates dogs so much!" Gwen exclaimed.

"Suddenly I want a hamster instead of a dog!" Leila stated.

Cujo then lowered himself to the ground. Dani then understood what he meant. "Okay, guys. All aboard!" she cried. "I've always wanted to say that," she giggled.

Her friends looked at her in disbelief.

"You want us to ride _that_?"

"I'd rather ride with a stranger!"

"I think I'll walk!"

Speed rolled his eyes and flew over to the girls. He picked up Leila, who started squirming, and placed her on Cujo's back. After taking a moment to calm down, Leila realized it wasn't so bad.

"Hey, it's not that bad once you get used to it," she commented. "It's like riding a horse without a saddle."

Luna then stepped hesitantly towards the giant dog. She slowly reached her hand out and stroked the dog's green fur. She smiled. "I think you're right. He's so cold though. It feels like I'm petting a green polar bear." Speed took that opportunity to pick Luna up and placed her behind Leila on Cujo's back. He then scooped up Gwen and placed her behind Luna. Gwen immediately wrapped her arms around Luna's torso and held on for dear life.

"Gwen! Too tight! I can't breathe!" Luna gasped.

"I…don't like…big dogs," she squeaked.

Speed rolled his eyes again. "Just suck it up for now. We're burning daylight here. Let's go. Follow me," he said. He launched himself in the air. Dani and Cujo became invisible and followed close behind him.

* * *

Eric entered Trace to work on Butch Warner's clothing when he saw Walter already processing it. Eric, feeling miserable and depressed all day, managed to crack a smile and a snicker when he saw what Walter was wearing. He was wearing multiple crucifixes around his neck, a Specter Deflector around his waist, an ancient Japanese anti-ghost spell written in Sharpie on his left hand, even a bottle of holy water hidden in his lab coat.

"Walter, don't you think you're getting a little too paranoid with all this?" asked Eric.

Walter looked up from his work. "I'm protecting myself in case Spectra decides to make another unannounced visit to the lab," he explained.

"You really think all those religious charms will work?" Eric chuckled.

Walter gave him a look. "Laugh all you want. But I'll be the one laughing when she comes back and attacks everyone but me."

Eric pulled out his own crucifix he wore around his neck. "I have all the protection I need plus the belt. I think you're overreacting."

"That's what Wolfe said in-between laughs this morning."

"He was laughing at you?" Eric asked.

"Laughing at every protective charm I have in my arsenal," Walter replied.

"That explains why he couldn't stop laughing this morning," Eric muttered.

"Don't you start too!" Walter exclaimed.

Eric grabbed his lab coat and began examining the clothes. Under a microscope, he could see faint traces of human skin and ectoplasm. Naturally, friction on human skin causes it shed, leaving microscopic pieces of skin behind. Eric assumed that the skin found on the clothing belonged to the victim.

"You already send samples to DNA?" Eric asked, not looking up from the microscope.

"Yeah. Valera should have the results soon," Walter replied.

Calleigh then entered the room with the results in her hand. "Or right now," she added. Eric would have smiled at her presence but he was only able to produce a tiny grin. He rested his chin on the lab table.

"DNA from the sample you sent me, Walter, was a match with our victim, Butch Warner," Calleigh answered.

Walter smirked. "I thought so."

Calleigh then turned to Eric. "Find anything on your end?"

Eric sighed heavily. "Found faint traces of gunshot residue on the sleeves of the shirt but it's not enough to place it in the kid's hand. It's probably secondary transfer."

"Let's hope H and Ryan are having better luck in Interrogation," Walter said.

* * *

Speed eventually led them to the abandoned warehouse near the harbor on the edge of town. The new training grounds were, in a way, crappy. Old, worn-out gym equipment was sprawled out in the warehouse. Moldy gym mats littered the floor.

"I can't train in a place like this!" Dani exclaimed.

"Yeah," Leila agreed, "this place is messier than my room. I've seen junk yards cleaner than this."

"I think there are murder scenes that are cleaner than this place," Luna added.

Speed rolled his eyes. "This is all I could find in the Ghost Zone. You're lucky some residents there were willing to donate."

"Then why does the it look like it belongs to the city dump?" asked Gwen.

"Ghosts don't care about the condition it's in. They're dead. What do they care?" Speed answered. He floated over to a large bag and pulled out some ghost hunting equipment. "First thing's first; put these on." He put on some gloves and threw three silver belts to the human girls (he obviously can't touch them with his bare hands).

"What are these belts for?" Luna asked.

"Specter Deflectors," Speed answered. "A ghost can't touch you if you're wearing it. It also protects you from certain spells a ghost can cast."

Leila raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really?" she asked. She walked over to Dani and placed a hand on her shoulder. The belt started sparking and Dani was soon electrocuted. Leila laughed. "Well, I'll be! It works!" Dani, who now looked completely fried (complete with static-y hair and her ponytail looked like a puffball), glowered at her.

"HEY!" Speed scolded. "These are actual weapons! They're not toys! Keep that up and Dani will go from half-ghost to all-ghost!"

Leila turned pink and mumbled an apology. Dani brushed herself off and fixed her hair before Speed continued. He then gave each of the human girls their own Thermoses, Fenton Phones, and Jack O' Nine Tails ("Courtesy of an unsuspecting Jack Fenton," Speed added.).

Gwen looked her Thermos over when she accidentally activated it. She dropped it in surprise causing the beam of light to suck in the nearest ghost, which turned out to be poor Speed. Her friends looked at her awestruck.

"Did you just suck him into the Thermos?" Leila asked in disbelief.

"Gwen! You just sucked up my teacher!" Dani exclaimed. She picked up Gwen's Thermos from the ground. "Don't worry, Speedy! We'll figure out how to get you out of there…eventually!"

Luna looked over her Thermos to see how it worked and what went wrong with Gwen's Thermos. Unfortunately, she accidentally activated hers and sucked Dani into her Thermos causing Gwen's Thermos to fall to the ground again.

"Wow! Luna caught her first ghost!" Leila said jokingly.

"I HEARD THAT, LEILA!" Dani shouted from inside the Thermos.

Luna cringed. "Sorry, Dani! You know I didn't mean to do that, right?"

"I know that! I'll forgive you if you GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!" Dani exclaimed.

Gwen picked up her Thermos. "Sorry about that, Speedy."

"If you don't get me out of this thing in the next five minutes, then you _will_ be sorry," Speed growled from inside the eleven-year-old's Thermos.

"Looks like we're going to be here awhile," Luna said. She continued looking over her Thermos when she found the release button. Upon pressing it, Dani came out.

"Ouch! It's cramped in there!" she said as she cracked her back.

Luna looked her over. "I'm truly sorry for sucking you into my Thermos! Are you alright?"

"Aside from the kink in my neck and sore muscles, I think I'll be fine," Dani answered. "Did you get Speedy out yet?"

Luna looked over at Gwen to see that she had not freed Speed yet. The Hispanic girl walked over to Gwen and showed her the release button. Speed came out just as quickly as he came in.

"Now I know how the others feel when they get sucked into that thing," he grunted as he stretched his arms. He turned to the girls. "Speak of this to no one. Are we clear?" The girls nodded. "Excellent. Now, let's get started."

* * *

**Hehehehe! I HAD to include the last scene! Danny getting accidentally sucked into the Thermos by his sister never stops being funny! XD**

**What do you think so far?  
**


	16. Redhead Vs Redhead

**This is a short chapter but I'm suffering from a little writer's block! Be patient with me!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Redhead Vs. Redhead**

Natalia entered the lounge for a break when she slipped on some water that was in the doorway. Luckily she held onto the doorframe for support. Ryan, who was sitting in the lounge, also on break, burst out laughing.

Natalia scowled at him. "Oh, like _you've_ never slipped on some water before."

Ryan calmed down and wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry about that. Couldn't help it."

"What's with all the water today?" asked Natalia. "Is there a leak or something?"

Ryan started to snicker. "No. Walter has been sprinkling holy water on every doorway in the building all morning. He thinks it will keep the ghosts away from the lab."

"I thought holy water was used to ward off devils, demons and vampires," said Natalia.

"Obviously Walter thought it also applied to ghosts too," said Ryan.

"Do you think it does?"

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. If he splashes some on Spectra and her face starts blistering, then we'll know it also works on ghosts." Ryan's phone beeped. He checked it and stood up. "Gotta go. Horatio wants me in Interrogation with him. We're going to expose them for what they really are."

Natalia smiled a little. "I'm so glad you didn't use any witty banter for that."

* * *

Horatio looked fiercely at the duo sitting at the table in the interrogation room. For some strange reason, neither of them bothered to call a lawyer yet. Usually a suspect would play the lawyer card before talking to the police. Either that or they'd request a lawyer if the police asked a personal question regarding an investigation.

The door opened and Ryan Wolfe entered the room, carrying his CSI kit along with him.

Spectra decided to cut to the chase. "So, why are we here?"

"We found the murder weapon used to kill Butch Warner, one of the students you've been counseling," Horatio started.

"Make that one of _five_ students you were counseling," Ryan corrected.

Spectra smiled. "Well, that's wonderful! Wasn't it a gun? I heard from the other teachers that he used a gun to kill himself."

"The suicide was staged. Butch Warner was murdered," Horatio said to Spectra. "The gun we recovered is registered to a Dr. Robert Rand or Bertrand," he said to the little man sitting next to Spectra.

Bertrand was appalled. "I resent that! What makes you think that's my gun?"

"Holy cow! He talks!" Ryan mumbled. Everyone on the team said that Bertrand rarely said anything throughout the entire investigation.

"We checked and we know that the gun was registered to you," Horatio said grimly. "The gun store owner, who sold you that gun, confirmed it was you when we showed him a picture of you."

"Well, just because Bertrand's gun was found at the crime scene doesn't mean he did it," Spectra defended. "I still think the kid committed suicide."

"On the contrary, Ms. Spectra, that's not what the evidence is saying," Horatio said. Ryan opened his kit and took out a cotton wipe. He wiped it on Bertrand's sleeves and sprayed it. The wipe then slowly turned blue. It was faint but it was visible enough to put the weapon in Bertrand's hands.

"You shot Butch Warner and then put it in his hand to make it look like he killed himself," Horatio confirmed.

"That is ridiculous!" Bertrand exclaimed.

Ryan then took out two photos. The first one was a close-up picture of the gun. The second one was a picture of the dead teenager. "Take a closer look, you two," Ryan said to the ghostly duo.

Spectra and Bertrand looked hard at the pictures. Spectra sighed exasperatedly. "I don't get it. What are we seeing?"

"The bullet hole on Butch's temple is on the left side of his head," Horatio explained. He then pointed to the gun in the dead kid's hand. "The gun is in his right hand. Does that make sense to you?"

"Not to me, Horatio," Ryan answered. "If I were to commit suicide – which I would never do – I would have shot my left temple with the gun in my _left_ hand." He demonstrated with his hands for emphasis.

"We tested the sleeves on the boy's clothing and no GSR was found," Horatio added.

"GSR?" asked Spectra.

"Gunshot residue," Ryan answered. "Something we just found on Bertrand a moment ago."

"I thought there wasn't any gunshot residue on his sleeves," said Spectra.

"Obviously, we didn't bother to check the underside of the sleeves," Ryan said smugly. "We didn't find any GSR on the topside of his sleeves at the crime scene but when we got back to the lab, we found some secondary transfer on the underside of the sleeves."

"Which still puts Bertrand here at the scene of the crime," Horatio concluded.

Spectra smiled. "Alright. Let's say, hypothetically, Bertrand _was_ the killer; what makes you think that I had anything to do with it?"

Now it was Horatio's turn to smirk. "Perhaps these autopsy reports will answer that," he said as he casually tossed five autopsy reports in front of Spectra.

Spectra read them over. "I'm not following," she said.

"All five of them had bruises somewhere on their bodies that appeared moments before they died, which indicate they struggled with whoever, or should I say _whatever_ killed them," Horatio said grimly. "Also, you were these five kids' guidance councilor. That…does not look good on you, Ms. Spectra."

Spectra frowned. "I still don't understand how I'm connected to all of this. Are you saying that I had something to do with those kids' deaths?"

Ryan sighed. "Let's cut the crap. We know you fed off of their misery so you can keep yourself young and beautiful. Don't even try to deny it. We have all the proof we need right here," he said as he held up another report. He slid it across the table for her to read. It was a ghost report that told of the shadow ghost and the amorphous blob of ectoplasm that assisted her. It told of their strengths, weaknesses, and abilities.

Spectra began to pale. "Where did you get this?"

"That came from one of our anonymous confidants," Horatio replied. "Mr. Wolfe, shall we see if our suspicions are true?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Ryan replied. He pulled out a Fenton Ghost Peeler. Before he could even activate it, Spectra swatted the device out of his hand.

"There's no need for that, gentlemen," she purred as she transformed into her true form. Bertrand did the same.

Ryan paled. "Oh shit," he squeaked. He tried to remain calm. He fumbled for the ecto-pistol at his waist when he discovered to his horror that he wasn't wearing a Specter Deflector. "Double shit."

Spectra tackled him to the floor. Bertrand restrained Horatio.

"RYAN!" Horatio yelled.

None of them saw a ghost witnessing the whole thing. It then flew off to find help.

* * *

**Guess where Horatio got that ghost file! Go ahead! Guess!**

**I'm trying to decide which Miami ghost should go to Dani for help: Jesse Cardoza or Marisol. Who? WHO?**

**Does anyone want to draw pictures of my fanfic? I can't draw so that's why I'm asking you, the readers. Who's up for the challenge? It can be from any of my stories. Let me know, okay?  
**


	17. Memories of Shame

**Missed me? Sorry about that folks. Writer's block! I wrote a different story involving Pokemon to clear my head. So now I have a new chapter for this story! Yay!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Memories of Shame**

His first days as a CSI were filled with nothing but screw-ups and mistakes. His OCD was often the punch line of several jokes from his days as a patrol officer. Horatio finding out that his infected eye was giving him trouble. His short-term relationship with Erica Sykes causing trouble for his colleagues. His gambling problem that cost him his job. Keeping his involvement in Horatio's staged death a secret from his friends. Being forced to betray his colleagues after the Russian mafia tortured him and threatened to harm a child hostage. Being falsely accused of stealing diamonds from the evidence locker. And the worst part was being arrested for the accusation and was walked out of the lab – in handcuffs – in front of his colleagues. These were some of the most shameful memories of Ryan Wolfe's past.

The Specter Deflector around Horatio's waist activated, shocking Bertrand into letting him go. The slimy ghost scowled at the redhead. He fired a ghost ray at the lieutenant before he had a chance to pull out his gun. He crashed through the window, out onto the front lawn of the lab. The cries of panicking citizens filled the lieutenant's ears as he tried to get back up.

Bertrand floated in front of the hole in the window, guarding it so Horatio wouldn't try to enter again.

Horatio then pulled out his cell phone and called for backup. "This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine. I've got shots fired at the Miami-Dade Police Station and in need of assistance. There is one officer still inside as a hostage. I'm requesting immediate backup and paramedics!"

* * *

Frank watched in horror as Horatio was thrown out the window and a freaky shadow ghost pinned down Ryan on the floor. A strange gadget skidded across the floor moments before all hell broke loose. Frank recognized it from the attack at the hospital when Dani first came to Miami. The name slipped his mind but he remembered that it covered Natalia in body armor. Frank grabbed the weapon before the slimy green ghost shut the door and locked it.

Frank then hastily pulled out his cell phone. "Natalia! Get over to the precinct as quick as you can!"

"Why? What's going on?" asked Natalia.

"That shadow bitch and her Jell-o sidekick are back," said Frank. "They've got Ryan and threw Horatio out the window!"

"Oh my God! I…I'm coming! Where are you?" Natalia stammered.

"Hiding under my desk with a weird anti-ghost gizmo," Frank answered. "Whatever this thing does, it scares the crap out of our shadow."

"Okay, I'm on my way!"

* * *

The ghost that witnessed Spectra and Bertrand attacking Ryan and Horatio flew as fast as he could toward the warehouse where his partner, Speedle, was training Dani. Jesse Cardoza briefly knew Speed when they were both alive. In fact, it was Jesse who recommended Speed to Horatio when the CSI's were forming back in 1997.

Jesse phased into the warehouse where he found Speed training not only Dani but also the three girls he found in the Everglades. What were they doing here?

Dani's ghost sense went off the moment Jesse phased into the building. Her friends took note of it.

"Do you sense another ghost?" asked Luna who was trying to pry her Thermos and Leila's Thermos apart (Poor Speed got caught in both beams of light. Gwen's laughter was not helping).

"Yeah," Dani answered getting ready to attack.

"At ease, grasshopper, it's just me," said Jesse as he became visible.

"Hey! It's that guy from the Everglades," Leila acknowledged. "The guy who was with Speedy."

"Thank God!" Speed yelled from the conjoined Thermoses. "Cardoza! A little help please?"

"In a minute, Speed. Dani, you need to get to the precinct now! Spectra and Bertrand have Wolfe barricaded in the Interrogation Room and they literally threw Horatio out the window. I think Spectra's going to kill Ryan," Jesse explained.

Dani gasped. Without thinking or saying a word to her friends, she flew out of the warehouse to rescue the CSI's.

Jesse turned and saw the problem at hand. "If there was a level below novice and rookie, you three would be that," he said. He then helped the girls try and free Speed.

* * *

Natalia, Eric, Calleigh, and Walter managed to get out of the building during the evacuation. Calleigh was the only one who managed to get one of the ecto-pistols from the ballistics lab.

"H!" Eric cried as he ran towards the redhead. "Are you okay? What the hell happened?"

"Spectra happened," Horatio growled. "Ryan is still in there. If we don't get him out of there soon, he'll be killed." He suddenly remembered something about Spectra that could lead to her defeat. Something that Mr. Fenton said:

_The redhead then thought of something. "Danny, what if someone's best trait happens to be their weakness?"_

_ "What do you mean?" asked Danny._

_ "See, one of my CSI's happens to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which is actually the reason why I hired him in the first place. Could Spectra happen to obtain his OCD through him?"_

_ Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "I never thought about it that way. I guess it's possible. Do you still have all that ghost hunting equipment?"_

_ "As a matter of fact, we do," Horatio replied. "What do recommend using against Spectra?"_

_ "For starters, always have the Fenton Thermos on you," said Danny. "It's the only way for you to catch her. In order to weaken her, you have to use the Fenton Ghost Peeler."_

If what Danny said was true then Spectra is probably absorbing Ryan's OCD at that very moment. It would either lead to her downfall…or her triumph.

"Horatio!"

The lieutenant turned and saw Dani land on the front lawn.

"Horatio, what's going on? Jes – I mean I heard that Spectra attacked the lab again. Is everyone okay?" Dani asked.

"Unfortunately, Dani, no. Frank and Ryan are still in the building and Bertrand is guarding the fastest way in," Horatio grimly said referring to the huge hole in the window of the Interrogation Room.

Eric cursed. "I should have gone with you guys," he blamed himself.

"Eric, now is not the time to beat yourself up," Horatio said.

"NATALIA!" Calleigh yelled. Everyone looked up and saw Natalia run into the building.

"BV! What are you doing?" Walter yelled (BV is Natalia's nickname).

The two CSI's tried going after her but Horatio stopped them. "Dani is with her. They're going to rescue them," he reasoned. It occurred to the team that Dani had disappeared. However, knowing the girl's fondness for Natalia, everyone knew that Dani went after her. At this time, backup and SWAT were arriving.

"Calleigh, did you bring any equipment?" Horatio asked.

"I brought the Jack O' Nine Tails, a Thermos, and an extra ecto-pistol," said Calleigh. "I brought my own," she added as she gave the redhead the pistol.

Horatio thought about the resources at hand. All three are going to be needed to fight these ghosts.

"Alright, Walter, I want you to be in charge to the Nine Tails. Fire it the moment anything glowing green appears in your sight," Horatio ordered Walter. The African American man took the weapon without comment. He was going to need a lot more than a bunch of religious talismans to protect him.

"Eric, I want you to handle the Thermos. I trust you know how to work it?"

"Yeah, I know how to use it," the Cuban sighed.

Horatio, noting how melancholy Delko was, pulled him aside. "If you want to sit out on this one, I understand," he said. "I won't hold it against you."

"I'm fine, H," Eric tried to assure Horatio.

Horatio didn't believe him. "Eric…you're still recovering from yesterday's attack. Spectra is known to drain your strength and feed on your emotions. Naturally, you'd feel drained."

Eric sighed again. "I know but I think she also stole a little bit of my confidence. Something in the back of my mind keeps telling me that I'll screw up again…like after I got shot…and had to retrain myself."

"This is something completely different," Horatio clarified.

"If I freeze up…"

"Eric, just focus on rescuing Frank and Ryan and go from there," Horatio said firmly.

* * *

Natalia Boa Vista has always been a gentle human being. Okay, she's pushed and shoved some people around and she's used her gun a few times and there was that time when she was kidnapped and forced her kidnapper off the road, causing the car to crash. But overall, she'd never harm another person unless she was provoked. This was one of those times.

Ryan Wolfe was considered one of her closest friends. They dated briefly but the relationship didn't go anywhere so they agreed that they'd remain friends. When she joined the CSI's permanently after the whole mole incident, Ryan reluctantly became her supervisor. After working several cases together, they became close friends again. Ryan even told her to get her ears checked when someone tried to sneak up on her and she didn't hear him coming.

"You either really care about him or it goes deeper than that."

Natalia jumped and turned around to see Dani floating behind her. She sighed in relief. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again!" she scolded.

"Sorry," Dani mumbled.

"H tell you to back me up?" asked Natalia.

"No, but he probably would have told me anyway. He knows that I have the best chance at beating Spectra," Dani stated.

"Well, you'll come in handy when it comes to fighting these creeps. Think you can take them?"

"I think so. I've been practicing fighting all afternoon so we'll have to see," Dani answered, although her answer wasn't exactly bursting with confidence.

"Well, I have my ecto-pistol with me so you'll have backup," Natalia said trying to sound confident.

* * *

Spectra finished draining Ryan. She didn't exactly feel more youthful but she felt she obtained something from him.

"About time you're done with him," said Bertrand. "I thought he'd never stop screaming. I thought my eardrums were going to burst." An ear formed for emphasis on Bertrand's body and he scratched it.

"It was worth it," Spectra simply said. "I've never seen so much shame in such a short period of time."

"What do you think you got out of him?"

"Hmm…not sure yet – Bertrand either form another ear to match that one or get rid of it," Spectra suddenly said.

Bertrand's eyes grew wide. The ear melted back into his body. "Since when are you obsessed with symmetry?"

"I'm…I'm not," Spectra said in bewilderment. "I'm not sure where that came from. Maybe I should drain him again, just in case I missed something."

"Please don't," Bertrand begged. "I'll go deaf if I have to hear him scream again…what are you doing?"

Spectra was straightening out the room, pulling the chairs back up and sweeping the broken glass off the table. Realizing what she was doing, she stopped and smashed the glass table.

"What has gotten into me?" she asked. She turned her attention to the unconscious CSI. "What did I get from him?"

* * *

**Hehehehe! This is when disorders come in handy! I think y'all know what Spectra got from Wolfe! ;)**

**Keep reviewing people!  
**

**If anyone has any ideas on how the final battle should go down, please tell me! Your ideas are always appreciated!  
**


	18. Traumatic Memories

**Glad I'm almost done with this story! Writer's block is a killer, pun intended!  
**

**Someone makes a special appearance in this chapter! Can you guess who it is?  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Traumatic Memories**

Natalia and Dani quietly made their way through the building. Dani held on to Natalia's shoulder to keep them both invisible. They managed to find their way to the barricaded Interrogation Room (thanks to Ryan's screams of agony).

The pair saw a shadow – a human shadow – underneath one of the officers' desks. They ducked underneath the neighboring desk.

"Psst!"

Frank pulled out his gun and looked around frantically.

"Frank!" Dani and Natalia became visible causing Frank to bump his bald head against the underside of his desk in surprise.

"Sorry!" Dani whispered. "What's going on?"

"Wolfe's trapped inside. I heard the door lock. I would charge in there and get him out of there but I don't know how to work this anti-ghost do-hicky," Frank said, showing the gizmo for emphasis.

Natalia recognized the weapon immediately. "The Fenton Ghost Peeler? Frank, you're holding the key to beating Spectra!" she exclaimed in a low voice.

Frank looked at the weapon. "This thing? Well, you take it. I don't know how it works." He slid the weapon to Natalia who quickly grabbed it.

She pulled out her ecto-pistol and slid it to Frank. "You're going to need this."

Frank grabbed it and charged it up. "Now _this_ I know how to work," he said as he remembered the battle at the hospital. Well, he used a Wrist Ray but he saw Horatio use an ecto-pistol so he knew how to work it.

Natalia turned to Dani. "You think you can somehow distract them? We need to get the green one away from Spectra so we can get her away from Ryan."

Dani nodded. "I can handle it. Leave it to me."

They waited until Spectra put Wolfe down. Natalia was about to give the signal when she saw Spectra's behave differently. Suddenly she became obsessed with everything being neat and tidy in the already-trashed Interrogation Room. The way she was cleaning the room reminded Natalia of the way Ryan cleaned his station in the lab. It then dawned on her: Spectra is acting like Ryan in OCD mode!

"Okay, why is Spectra acting like Wolfe?" asked a bemused Frank.

"Phantom said that Spectra is able to get the best features about a person," said Dani.

"Well, Wolfe's best feature is his OCD," Frank explained. "Horatio hired him because he's obsessed with keeping his gun clean."

"Do you have any idea how many times I've seen him clean his workstation in one day?" Natalia asked Dani. "I don't know how he finds time to clean his gun." The trio then saw Spectra look at Ryan again, this time in horror. Seizing the opportunity to ambush them, Natalia gave Dani the signal to attack.

Dani blasted a hole in the glass door. She phased through it to prevent cutting herself on broken glass and blasted Bertrand out the window where Horatio and the gang were eagerly waiting for him.

Spectra turned towards Dani. "You little brat! I'm gonna – fix your hair, will you? It's a mess."

Dani stared at Spectra, dumbfounded. "Uh, aren't you going to threaten to rip me apart for handing your partner over to police?" she asked hesitantly.

Realizing that she got distracted again, Spectra screamed in frustration. "What the heck is going on? Why do I suddenly feel like straightening everything in sight? I can't stop!"

Dani then smirked. "You wanted every CSI's best features. And you got Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, courtesy of Ryan Wolfe."

Spectra looked horrified at this revelation. The best feature of one of the CSI's happens to also be his biggest weakness? Thinking she's been tricked, Spectra roared and tackled Dani to the ground. "You're dead, kid! One Phantom I can barely handle. Two's unbearable! I'm going to drain you until you're shriveled up like a raisin!"

Spectra then started draining Dani's energy. Every traumatizing memory of Dani's short life flashed before her eyes. Her birth, her devotion to her so-called "daddy", meeting Danny Fenton for the first time, revealing her half-ghost identity to him, meeting his friends at school, turning him over to "Daddy", questioning her existence, watching her "brothers" dissolve into nothing before her eyes, refusing to believe Danny's story about Vlad's true intentions for her, finally learning the truth about her father, returning to Amity Park, stealing apples to prevent starvation, meeting Valerie and getting captured by her, being used as bait so Valerie could capture Danny, dissolving into ectoplasm and being revived, beating Vlad again, several months on the road, meeting Molly Novak for the first and last time, meeting Natalia and the CSI's, lying to Yelina, revealing her secret to the CSI's, Skulker abducting her from the lab, her blood being drained from her body against her will, her trek through the Everglades, revealing her identity to her new friends, her fight against Skulker at the hospital…

A shot rang out in the room knocking Spectra off of Dani. The ghost girl turned to see Frank holding a smoking ecto-pistol in his hands.

"I don't know if the law applies to ghosts but if they do, then you're under arrest for child endangerment, attempted murder, assaulting a police officer, and the murders of Holly Seabrook, Butch Warner and three other teenagers," said Sergeant Frank Tripp.

~0~0~0~

Bertrand was blasted out the window and landed in the front lawn. He lifted his head and was looking down the barrel of an ecto-pistol. He smiled sheepishly.

"Now, sir," he started nervously, "couldn't we settle this like civilized people?"

The one who was holding the gun, Horatio, looked at Bertrand with his cold blue eyes. "Like the way you settled it with members of my team and all those innocent kids you helped murder? Go to hell."

Bertrand squeaked in fear. "Would you believe me if I told you Spectra made me do it?"

Horatio continued staring coldly at the green ghost. "Like I said, 'Go to hell'." He then put the gun in its holster and walked away. "He's all yours," he said to his team. Walter struck Bertrand with the Jack O' Nine Tails, shocking and restraining the ghost. Calleigh kept her ecto-pistol leveled at Bertrand the entire time. Eric then came and sucked the shape-shifter into the Fenton Thermos.

Eric released a sigh of relief. "That's one monster down."

"One more to go," Calleigh finished.

"I hope Dani and Natalia found Frank and Ryan," said Walter. "I can't imagine what they're all going through."

They then heard the sound of a little girl screaming. They immediately recognized it as Dani's voice.

Horatio instinctively pulled out his ecto-pistol. "DANI!" he yelled as he entered the building.

~0~0~0~

Speed took Cujo back to the Ghost Zone to get an arrest warrant from Walker (Jesse was assigned to dropping the girls off at their respective homes). After exchanging witty banter and various insults with each other, Walker finally granted Speed the warrant for Spectra and Bertrand's arrests.

Speed flew through the Ghost Zone looking for a Natural Ghost Portal to take him back to Miami. He then noticed a woman flying out of a portal. Speed flew over to her.

"Excuse me?"

The woman turned around, shocked. "Can I help you?"

"That portal you came out of; does it lead to Miami, Florida USA?" Speed asked.

The woman eyed the badge clipped to Speedle's belt. "You're with the MDPD?"

"I was," Speed answered, "until the fact that I don't clean my gun came to bite me in the ass if you pardon my language."

The woman chuckled. "Not at all." She then squinted at Speed, like she was trying to get a closer look at him. "You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Speed shrugged. "I don't think so. I've met a lot of people, living and dead. I advise you to stay away from King Henry VIII though. Really picky when it comes to women."

The woman laughed. "I'm going to take that as a compliment. Thank you. What's your name?"

"Detective Tim Speedle."

The woman gasped at the name. "Speed? Is that really you?"

Speed shifted his eyes. "Yes, that's my name. Who are you?"

"Marisol Delko-Caine."

For the first time since before he died, Speed gawked at the woman speaking to him. "YOU'RE Delko's sister?" Marisol laughed and nodded. Speed tried to get his thoughts together. _'She says her last name is Delko-Caine…Caine…Hold on!'_ Speed's eyes widened as realization fell on him like a ton of bricks. "Your husband wouldn't happen to be Lieutenant Horatio Caine, would it?"

"Yes. I married Horatio," Marisol replied.

Speed was speechless. "Holy crap! I thought he'd _never_ get hitched…" he muttered to himself.

Marisol heard him. "Hard to believe but it's true."

"You know, someone I know has been wondering what happened to you for several months now," said Speed. "If you can meet with her sometime soon and fill in the blanks that would be great."

"I know who you're talking about," said Marisol. "The Ghost Girl, right?"

"Yeah. You know her?"

"I know of her. I saw her the first time she visited the cemetery several months ago," Marisol explained. "She's been wondering who I am since."

Speed nodded. "She wants to ask H about it but she's afraid to. Apparently, he doesn't like to talk about it."

Marisol nodded. "I understand. I'll speak to her. Could you set up a meeting?"

"I'm going to have to put that on hold," said Speed. "Right now, she's a little busy catching a ghost who is trying to drain the life out of today's youth."

"Very well," said Marisol. "Good luck." She then flew off into the depths of the Ghost Zone.

* * *

**This story has slowed down, I know! I NEED ideas for the next chapter! This is a serious SOS! Save Our Story! If there's one thing I hate it's an unfinished story! **

**Thank you!**


	19. Learning the Truth

**Anyone miss me? I'm almost done with this story! Danny will officially make his appearance in the next chapter, I promise!  
**

**The final battle is pretty darn short but that's only because...well...Spectra's not very tough in her true form, obviously. Plus, I thought now would be the time for Dani to learn why Horatio's so uptight all the time.  
**

**Someone else makes a surprise appearance in this chapter! Yay!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**Learning the Truth**

Horatio dashed through the corridors as he followed Dani's screams. He managed to reach the source of the sound when he saw Frank shoot Spectra away from the Ghost Girl.

"I don't know if the law applies to ghosts but if they do, then you're under arrest for child endangerment, attempted murder, assaulting a police officer, and the murders of Holly Seabrook, Butch Warner and three other teenagers," said Frank.

Spectra roared in frustration. "Why are you even bothering? Those charges won't stick! I'm a ghost! Not even your weak-minded lieutenant can stop me!"

Dani struggled to get up. "Y-Y-You're wrong!"

Spectra knocked Dani back on the floor at the flick of her spectral tail. "You don't even know what your pathetic hero has been through. He's seen more evil than you'll ever see in your whole life. He's done the unthinkable, you know. He's killed other people. Do you really want a killer to be your hero?"

Natalia's trigger finger was feeling edgy. "You shut the hell up!" she snarled. "You don't know Horatio like the rest of us!"

"I…I don't care…if he's killed people," Dani said weakly. "He has his reasons. He probably killed them…to save several other people from getting hurt."

"'Probably'?" Spectra scoffed. "You mean you never asked him? That's because he is a cold-blooded killer."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Dani shrieked. At that moment, Dani summoned the rest of her strength to fire a powerful ghost ray at Spectra.

Natalia took that opportunity to activate the Ghost Peeler. Her body soon became covered in body armor. She aimed the weapon at Spectra. "If you ever talk that way about my boss again, I'll kick your ass into the next afterlife." She then fired at Spectra. To everyone's surprise, Spectra's appearance peeled away like an onion. She seemed to get older as each layer was peeled away. Eventually, everyone saw a haggard old woman in Spectra's place.

Frank grimaced at the old woman. "I guess beauty _is_ skin-deep! She's proof that the dinosaurs once roamed the earth."

Spectra saw her reflection in a window that wasn't broken. She shrieked at what she saw. "NO! DON'T LOOK AT ME! I'M HIDEOUS!"

Dani also grimaced. "So much for saying it's what's on the inside that counts."

Horatio then pulled out a Fenton Thermos and aimed it at Spectra. "If I _ever_ see you in Miami again, I'll beat you into an ectoplasmic pulp," he threatened.

Spectra smiled sheepishly. "Come now. You wouldn't harm a little old lady, would you?"

"Normally, no," said the redhead, "but in this case…I'll make an exception." He then sucked her into the Thermos.

* * *

The moment Natalia peeled Spectra's layers away everyone who fell victim to her instantly perked up, including the CSI's. Calleigh felt her trademark perkiness come back to her in an instant. Eric's strength and confidence came back, like he was never attacked to begin with. Natalia no longer felt the blues. Ryan slowly came to and sat up like he just took a nap. Dani also felt the same way, no longer feeling drained, her strength returning. All the surviving kids at Lenore High School no longer felt depressed.

The only one who did not feel any better was Horatio. True, the energy he lost the other day was restored to him. Some of the painful memories of his past he was able to bury again but some of the more recent memories were refreshed in his mind. The memories of Marisol were the most refreshed. The memory of her death awoke an old pain in his heart. It wasn't fair that a small ray of happiness in his dark life was taken from him. Horatio missed everything about Marisol; the sound of her voice, her scent, her hair, and the way her face would light up when she saw him…

"H, Wolfe is coming around," said Frank, breaking Horatio out of his thoughts.

Horatio looked up to see Ryan slowly sitting up and – to Horatio's surprise – yawning. "H," said Ryan groggily as he rubbed his eyes. "What happened? Where are Spectra and Bertrand?"

Horatio held up the Fenton Thermos. "They won't be harming Miami anymore," said Horatio. "Are you hurt, Mr. Wolfe?"

Ryan looked himself over. "I think so. I feel refreshed actually, like I just took a nap."

Horatio then took off his Specter Deflector, walked over to Dani and helped her get back on her feet. "Dani, are you alright?"

Dani nodded. "Yeah," she sighed. Horatio saw right through her façade.

"The things Spectra said still bothering you?" he asked.

Dani nodded. "I know some police officers kill people to protect others but is it true that you've killed people?"

Horatio looked at the ground before he answered. "I've killed people in the line of duty, Dani. What Spectra said is true. I have done the unthinkable," he said solemnly.

Dani gasped. "But you did it to protect other people, right? You only killed bad people because they were hurting a lot of innocent people, right? So that's okay, right? Tell me that's right!" She clearly couldn't comprehend the fact that the man, who is now like a father figure to her, has killed someone before.

Horatio sighed and looked out the broken window. "It's true that I have killed people to protect others from harm. I'm not proud of it. However, it's never okay to kill a person on a whim. For someone like you, Dani, you must use your gifts to protect people without killing anyone. The fact that you take a life will haunt you forever until the end of your days."

"I would never kill anyone, Horatio!" Dani exclaimed. "If I did something like that, not only would Danny be upset but so would you, Natalia and everyone else here! I know hurting people is wrong!"

Horatio patted Dani on the head. "And that, Dani, is what makes you human." Dani smiled, realizing that the difference between right and wrong was indeed one of the things that made her human.

* * *

Gwen didn't come to school on Friday. She and the rest of her family went to Holly's funeral. Gwen's eyes shed tears like a faucet as she watched her cousin be lowered into the ground. She'd miss her. Holly died knowing that Spectra was up to something evil and died trying to uncover the truth.

Before Gwen left with her family and relatives, she felt something slip into her pocket. When she got into her parents' car she discovered that it was a note: _**Call Danielle and tell her someone wants to meet her in the cemetery tonight. Speed **_

_**P.S. I send my sincere regrets to you and your family. **_

* * *

Yelina drove Danielle to the cemetery later on that night. Yelina insisted that she'd come with Danielle but the girl argued that it was best if she didn't. The two eventually agreed that Yelina would wait on a bench near the front gate while Danielle did what she needed to do.

Danielle slowly walked through the cemetery. She had the Fenton Thermos in the pocket of her blue sweatshirt in case of an ambush. Her icy blue eyes saw Tim Speedle's tombstone in the distance. There was no sign of him so Danielle kept walking. Eventually, her ghost sense went off. She became alert and looked around the cemetery for any ghosts. She noticed one ghost among the tombstones. The ghost was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She had dark brown hair and beautiful green eyes. Danielle sensed some Cuban in her appearance.

Danielle slowly approached the ghost, her hands still on the Thermos in her sweatshirt pocket.

"Can I help you?" Danielle asked apprehensively.

The woman turned and faced the Ghost Girl. "I heard you've been wanting to meet me, Dani Phantom…with an 'i'." Danielle stopped in her tracks in alarm. The woman raised her hands to calm her down. "It's alright. I won't hurt you. Detective Speedle wanted me to meet you. You want answers."

Danielle looked at the woman's tombstone that read: Marisol Delko-Caine. She gasped when she realized who was talking to her. "You're Marisol, aren't you? You're Horatio's wife."

The woman smiled. "That's right. Well, I _was_ his wife."

"What happened? How did you die? Why did you lure me to your grave when I moved here?" Danielle asked hurriedly.

Marisol held up a hand to silence her. "Calm down. One question at a time."

"Oh," said Danielle. "Sorry. Um…I guess my first question is…why did you lure me to your grave when I moved here?"

"I've been watching over Horatio since I died. I know he doesn't like to talk about me to his friends, except for my brother Eric," Marisol explained.

"_You're_ Delko's sister?" Danielle asked, surprised.

Marisol laughed. "Yes. I'm Eric Delko's older sister. As I was saying, I've been watching over him since my death. When you came to Miami, I noticed a slight change in Horatio. He seemed happier as he spent more time with you. It made me happy knowing that he's happy too."

Danielle furrowed her eyebrows. Well, that answered the first question. "You've been watching over him? Then how come I haven't been able to sense you?" she asked referring to her ghost sense.

Marisol smiled. "Let's just say I know a ghost who can make jewelry that can hide my ghostly presence," she said with a wink **(hint, hint)**.

Danielle blinked, clueless. "Oh. In that case, onto my second question: how did you die?"

Marisol looked down her front. Danielle followed her gaze and noticed a bullet hole in Marisol's blouse.

Danielle gasped. "You were shot?" she whispered.

Marisol sadly smiled. "I was targeted by the Mala Noche gang so they can get back at Horatio," she said solemnly.

That caught Danielle's attention. "Mala Noche? The same Mala Noche gang that killed Horatio's brother, Raymond, in Brazil?"

"The same one," said Marisol. "Paramedics tried to get me to the hospital as fast as they could but Mala Noche gangsters blocked the ambulance. They wanted my husband. Horatio had no choice but to leave my side and fight back. Otherwise they'd never get me to the hospital in time. Horatio stayed behind to take care of the gangsters while the ambulance continued its way to the hospital. Unfortunately, it hit a curb which made the bleeding worse for me."

"But Horatio took care of those guys, right?" asked Danielle. "He kicked their butts and went to the hospital to be with you, right?"

"Eventually, he came back for me. He had to make sure no one else would come to harm me further," Marisol continued. "He stayed with me during my final moments. We spoke of dinner reservations at our favorite restaurant. I told him I wasn't going to stand him up. Then… I died holding his hand." She looked at her right hand and went back to her last moments alive. She then held her hand close to her heart as tears ran down her cheeks.

Danielle was speechless. No wonder Horatio always looked so sad. He constantly misses Marisol. "Do you ever think of visiting him now?" she asked. "I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again."

Marisol shook her head no. "It's best that he doesn't know I'm now a ghost. Just tell him to cheer up and be happy. My brother and I are not the only ones who enjoy seeing him smile," Marisol requested.

"Are you leaving?" asked Danielle.

"I promised a little get together with a new friend of mine. Her husband is a good friend of Horatio's. That's how I found out about you."

Danielle blinked. "Me? How does your friend know me?" she asked.

Marisol chuckled. "Her husband knows your cousin. They make a fierce combination."

It dawned on Danielle who Marisol was talking about but chose not to say anything. She looked up at the ghost. "When you see your friend, can you please tell her to tell Danny that Spectra's been caught? He promised to spend the day with me once I caught her."

Marisol smiled and embraced the Ghost Girl. "I'll tell her to give your message to Phantom," she promised. She then slowly faded away leaving Danielle alone in the graveyard.

* * *

**Not my best work, but the next chapter will be Danny's visit to Miami! Yay!**

**I think everyone knows whom Marisol was talking about. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out! You just have to be a CSI fanatic!  
**

**Review!  
**


	20. Danny Miami

**The final chapter at last! As promised, Danny will be making an official appearance and meeting the CSI's! I'm so glad y'all enjoyed this story!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Danny Miami**

Two weeks after Danielle's visit with Marisol, things returned to normal. Danielle's friends continued investigating haunted places in Miami in broad daylight with little to no results, Danielle visited Speed at his grave more often, and her friends have been helping her expand her personality. Danielle was now into Pokémon, Disney movies, Harry Potter, old black and white movies, and the Legend of Zelda.

One morning, the doorbell rang and Yelina went to get it. Danielle didn't hear much since she was busy listening to some Quietdrive CDs Leila lent her. Yelina knocked on her door.

Danielle took off her headphones and opened it. "What's going on, Yelina?"

Yelina had a smug look on her face, like she had a surprise for the girl. "You have a visitor."

Danielle blinked. "I do? I didn't make any plans with my friends today. Who is it?"

Yelina led the girl out of her room. "It's a surprise."

Danielle went into the living room where her visitor was waiting for her. A teenage boy who looked almost exactly like Danielle was waiting for her. Danielle's face lit up instantly. "DANNY!" she cried excitedly. She ran over and tackled him to the floor. "I'm so glad to see you! I've missed you so much!"

"Nice to see you too, Danielle," Danny gagged. "Too tight! Cutting off my oxygen!"

"Danielle, you know roughhousing is not allowed indoors," Yelina scolded.

Danielle released Danny and smiled sheepishly at Yelina. "Sorry. Got excited, you know?"

"Wow! I'm impressed," said Danny. "You've come a long way, Danielle."

"I've taught her well," said Yelina proudly. "Is it true you're Phantom?"

Danny panicked. "You mean you know?"

Yelina smiled. "Relax. Your secret is safe with us. Only myself, Horatio and the CSI's know your identity, Danny. You can trust us."

Danny relaxed. "Whew! Okay. That makes me feel a little better."

"Are you going to show Danny around town?" Yelina asked Danielle.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Yep. I want him to meet my friends from school and Horatio and the others."

"Okay. Make sure to stay out of sight, if you know what I mean," Yelina reminded the hybrids with a wink.

Both hybrids looked at each other and nodded. They lifted their fists in the air and shouted, "GOING GHOST!" The two became their alter egos in a series of flashes of lights. They then phased out of the house and flew into the city.

Yelina blinked and rubbed her eyes. "I gotta start wearing sunglasses whenever she does that," she reminded herself.

* * *

Danny and Dani's first stop was at the cemetery. They approached Tim Speedle's tombstone where he was waiting for them.

"Well, well, well. The Phantom of Amity Park finally comes to Miami," greeted Speed.

Phantom smiled. "Nice to see you again, Speedy," he said, shaking Speed's hand.

"Things going well up north?" asked Speed.

"So far so good. Vlad hasn't come up with anything with Danielle's blood yet. Has Aiden and Angell gotten any leads?" asked Phantom.

"Nothing yet," said Speed. "I also want to talk to you about my role involving Danielle."

"What role?" asked Dani.

"You know how Clockwork and Frostbite are like my guardians and mentors?" asked Phantom.

"Yeah."

Speed gave the clone a deadpanned look. "Phantom wants to appoint me your guardian and mentor until it's safe for you to return to Amity Park," he said irritably.

Dani was confused. "I thought Yelina was my guardian."

Phantom chuckled. "For Danielle Masters but not for Dani Phantom," he said matter-of-factly.

"I can't believe I lost that bet with Jesse," whined Speed.

"Isn't there someone else buried here that Dani wanted me to meet?" asked Phantom.

"You mean Horatio's late wife?" asked Speed.

"Yeah her."

"Down that hill near that big tree."

"Thanks," said Phantom.

"Yeah, yeah. Danielle, more training on Monday after school," said Speed. "Oh! Phantom! I believe you two have something for me." He held out his hand like he expected the two to give him money.

It took Danielle a moment but she finally realized what Speed was talking about. "Oh, right!" She pulled out the Fenton Thermos. "I need it back ASAP."

"I'll have Jesse send it back to you after we book Bonnie and Clyde here," he said shaking the Thermos for emphasis.

"Okay," Dani waved goodbye to Speed and the two Phantoms floated towards Marisol's grave.

"'Marisol Delko-Caine'?" Phantom read.

"Yep, this is her," said Dani. "She said that she's friends with the late wife of a friend of yours. Who is it?"

Phantom thought for a moment then snapped his fingers. "Marisol must be friends with Claire Taylor, Mac's late wife."

"Mac Taylor? The same Mac Taylor you were always talking about?" Dani asked.

"The same guy," Phantom confirmed. "I still find it hard to believe Mac was once married."

"Have you heard from him lately?"

"Not really, although we did get a Christmas card from the crime lab over the holidays," Phantom trailed off.

"Did your parents send one back?" asked Dani.

"Unfortunately," said Phantom, shivering at the thought.

"The picture that bad?"

"The Box Ghost was trying to scare us so my dad got out the Fenton Fisher but it was tangled up, my mom tried to use the Anti-creep Stick on him but accidentally hit me, and Jazz just covered her face in embarrassment," Phantom explained. "At least this Christmas was better than last year's."

"You mean when you were trapped in a poem written by Ghostwriter?" asked Dani.

"I learned my lesson!" Phantom defended. The two then flew off to the park where Dani's friends were meeting them.

* * *

As soon as Phantom and Dani arrived at the park they immediately phased into the public bathroom and became humans. They walked out and Danielle led Danny to her friends who were waiting for her on the jungle gym. Danny was amazed at how much the girls looked like his "cousin". The only differences were that they seemed to have different heights and their eyes were different shades of blue.

"Guys!" Danielle called. The girls looked up and leapt off the jungle gym to meet Danielle and the boy who was with her.

"Hi Danielle!" Gwen greeted happily. It was clear that she was back to her normal hyper self.

"Who's your friend?" asked Luna.

"And is he single?" added Leila, earning her an elbow to the ribs by Luna.

"This is my cousin, Danny Fenton," said Danielle. Danny waved to them. "Danny, these are my friends: Luna Rivera, Gwen Seabrook and Leila Saturn." The girls nodded to Danny as their names were introduced.

"Nice to meet you all," said Danny. "In answer to your question, Leila, I'm…uh…kind of seeing someone."

"Dang," said Leila.

Danielle giggled. "You mean that you still haven't told Sam how you feel about her?"

"Hey, guys are not good with words!" Danny defended. "Anyway, I'm sorry about your cousin, Gwen. I'm glad that Danielle managed to catch Spectra."

"Thanks, " said Gwen. "But don't forget to thank Lieutenant Caine. He saved everyone, including Danielle." The Ghost Girl blushed at that.

Danny laughed. "I'll make sure to thank him if I see him."

"So is it true that you're…Phantom?" Luna whispered.

Danny looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. "Yeah, it's true. But you can't tell anyone!" he hissed.

Gwen got excited. "Oooohhhh! Can we see you change? Can we? Huh?"

Leila started getting an idea. "Hey, yeah! We can even take him to where we train!"

Danny chuckled. "Training? You three are in on this too?"

Leila shrugged. "Hey, Buffy and her friends kept themselves in shape in case of a vampire attack. Why can't we for ghosts?"

Danny looked at Danielle. "Is she the one who likes to watch 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'?"

"Yep."

Danny sighed. "Okay. I'll take a look at your training facility…but I'll have to go ghost when no one is looking."

"It's more like an abandoned warehouse," muttered Leila.

"Shhhh!" hushed Luna.

The two hybrids jumped into a bush and changed. Two Phantoms popped out of the bush and landed in front of Danielle's friends.

"That…is…AWESOME!" Gwen exclaimed excitedly. "Two Phantoms are even better than one!"

"Gwen! Gwen! Keep it down!" said Luna. "People are going to stare and then BOTH Phantoms will fall prey to Erica Sykes."

Phantom raised an eyebrow. "Erica who?"

"She's a TV reporter whom Wolfe says is a threat to the First Amendment," Dani said as she recalled what Yelina said about the obnoxious reporter.

"Is she the one who came up with that 'Invisi-Belle' garbage?" asked Phantom.

"Yeah," Dani said in embarrassment.

Phantom blinked and then moved on. "All right. Enough chitchat. How about you take me to where you practice?"

Dani grabbed Leila and Luna while Phantom picked up Gwen. The two Phantoms then became invisible and flew off.

* * *

After a few hours of showing Danny the abandoned warehouse where the girls practiced, they went their separate ways and the "cousins" went to a Cuban restaurant for lunch. Afterwards, they then went swimming at the beach.

"So, how are you liking Miami?" Danny asked Danielle as they built a sandcastle.

"I love it here!" Danielle exclaimed. "The only downside is how hot it gets here."

"At least you have the beach to keep cool," said Danny.

"Yeah but Yelina said I'm not allowed to go to the beach on a school day unless it's for homework," Danielle explained.

"Sounds like she really laid down the law to you."

Danielle smiled. "Yeah but I know she means well. Besides, I promised Horatio that I wouldn't be a burden so staying out of trouble is the way to go."

Danny smiled proudly. "Well said, Cuz."

* * *

Evening came way too quickly. Before Danny left, however, Danielle wanted him to officially meet Horatio and the CSI's.

"This is the precinct," Danielle explained as they entered the building. "The lab is upstairs. That's where almost everyone is right now."

Danny gave Danielle a bemused look. "Almost?" he asked.

A bald gruff man in a suit and tie approached the duo. "Danielle? What brings you here? And who's your friend…and why does he look almost exactly like you?" he asked in a thick Texan accent.

Danny smiled sheepishly. "Uh, hi. I'm Danny Fenton," he introduced himself nervously.

The bald man's demeanor softened a little at the mentioning of Danny's name. "So you're the Danny Fenton that Danielle's always talking about! About time you came for a visit!" he said. He held out his hand. "Detective Frank Tripp."

Danny shook Frank's hand. "Nice to meet you. Danielle told me a lot about this place," said the teenager.

"She should. She stops here everyday after school," said Frank. Danielle blushed in embarrassment. "If you want to meet the others, they're upstairs."

"Thanks, Detective Tripp," said Danny. The two then left Frank and went into the elevator (after getting their visitor's passes). "He's…interesting."

Danielle giggled. "He may seem grumpy but he's kind of nice once you get to know him," she said.

"Kind of reminds me of someone else I know," Danny muttered. They got off the elevator and Danny took in his surroundings in awe. "This is way better than TV!"

"Funny. That's what Leila said when she first came here," Danielle said to herself.

"Hey Danielle!" a blonde woman greeted as she approached them. Danny gawked at her. She took one look at Danny and snapped her fingers. "You're Danny Fenton, aren't you?" she asked.

Danny blinked. "Uh, yeah… How do you know me?"

The woman laughed. "How do you think we found out about you in the first place?" she asked, referring to Danielle. "I'm Calleigh Duquesne. I'm a ballistics expert."

"That means you handle guns, right?" asked Danny as he tried to recall everything he learned in New York several months ago.

Calleigh smiled. "That's correct. You've been reading about forensics?"

Danny rubbed the back of his head. "From time to time," he answered.

"I really like those ecto-pistols your ghost friends sent us," Calleigh complimented. "They've been really helpful."

A Cuban-American man then approached the three. "Calleigh, you almost ready to go? I have reservations at…" he stopped as he noticed Danny and Danielle. He kept looking back and forth at them. "Am I the only one seeing this?" he asked.

Danielle giggled. "This is Danny, my cousin!" she said.

Danny smiled. "I'm Danny Fenton."

"Nice to finally meet you. I'm Eric Delko," said the Cuban as he shook Danny's hand. Eric remembered when Danny called the CSI's when Danielle was lost in the Everglades. They never would have found her without Danny's help (and Speed's). He then looked at Calleigh. "You almost ready?"

Calleigh smiled sweetly at Eric. "Just let me file some paperwork and I'll be all set to go."

"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs. Nice meeting you, Danny."

"Enjoy your tour of the crime lab," said Calleigh. The two then parted ways, leaving the young hybrids alone in the lobby.

"Are those two dating?" Danny asked Danielle.

Danielle giggled again. "Yep. Everyone is placing bets on when Eric will propose to Calleigh. I hope it's soon. And quit gawking at her! She's called 'Bullet Girl' for a reason."

Danny shook his head out. "Sorry. You know if Tucker were here with me he'd be drooling all over her," he said.

Two men then approached the two. One was tall and chubby while the other one was short and skinny.

The short one noticed the visitors. "You must be Danny Fenton, right?"

"Yeah."

The short man held out his hand. "CSI Ryan Wolfe and this big guy next to me is Walter Simmons." Danny shook both their hands.

"Holy cow! You two really do look alike!" Walter exclaimed. "Nice to finally see the Phantom of Amity Park."

"Does everyone in this lab know about me?" Danny asked nervously.

"Yeah, pretty much," Ryan said matter-of-factly.

"You going to tour the lab?" asked Walter.

"That's the idea," said Danny.

"If you go to the morgue, check and make sure Dr. Loman isn't working on a body," Walter warned.

Danny shivered. "Thanks for the heads up. Just thinking about it reminds me of the morgue in New York. My sister nearly puked and my friend, Tucker, fainted when we saw a dead body."

"What about Sam?" asked Danielle.

"She fell victim to Dr. Hammerback's infamous trivia ranting about whether or not the chicken egg was considered meat," Danny explained.

"Your girlfriend is a vegetarian?" guessed Ryan.

Danny blushed. "She's NOT my girlfriend and yes she is a vegetarian," he snapped. Walter and Ryan laughed.

The two kids walked off and entered the lounge where Natalia was reading a magazine. She looked up and immediately recognized Danny. "Danny Fenton, I presume?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Danny.

Natalia shook the boy's hand. "I'm Natalia Boa Vista."

Danny recognized the name. "Danielle's told me all about you!"

Natalia smiled. "She's told us all about you too."

"What's going on lately?" asked Danielle.

"Oh, the usual. Catching bad guys here, stopping drug lords there," she drawled. "Things seem to get exciting only when there's a ghost around lately. Not that I'm complaining, of course."

Danielle furrowed her eyebrows. "But Natalia, I thought Horatio was still looking for that crazy psycho doctor who's been killing girls and ripping out their – mmnnffff!" Natalia quickly covered her mouth and smiled sheepishly at Danny.

"Girl's been watching _way_ too much TV," she said hastily. "I have no idea where she comes up with these ideas."

Danny chose to let the issue go for now. Natalia quickly shoved the two out of the lounge and closed the door.

"The way she was acting kind of reminds me of Jazz when we were younger," Danny recalled. "Whenever I was about to say too much, she'd always cover my mouth to shut me up."

"Really?" asked Danielle.

"Yeah but now I've been doing to more often to Tucker since he talks too much."

* * *

Danny and Danielle returned to Yelina's that evening. Danny was invited to stay for dinner before heading back home to Amity Park. Horatio was out in the field so Danny was unable to meet him much to Danielle's disappointment…or so she thought.

The doorbell rang as dinner was about to be served. Danny and Danielle were talking in the living room when a certain redhead entered.

"Evening, Danielle," greeted Horatio.

Danielle's face lit up. "Horatio! I didn't know you were coming."

Horatio gave the girl a half-smile. "Well, Yelina wanted me to surprise you and your 'cousin' before he left. It's nice to finally meet you in the flesh, Mr. Fenton."

Danny got up and shook Horatio's hand. "The feeling's mutual, Lieutenant. Thanks for watching after Danielle. I owe you big time!"

"It's no trouble at all," said Horatio. "She's actually quite well-behaved for someone her age."

Danny blinked. "Are you talking about her physical age or her biological age?" he asked. Danielle frowned at that.

Horatio chuckled. "I would say both."

"Danielle?" called Yelina. "Could you help me set the table?"

"Coming!" Danielle called back. "I'll be back soon." She then left the room to help Yelina.

"So, how many crime scenes has Danielle seen?" asked Danny.

"Not many," said Horatio. "She hasn't seen anything that would give her nightmares."

"So the only dead body she's seen is that girl you found her with?"

"Only one so far. She's not allowed in the morgue at the crime lab for obvious reasons," said Horatio.

Danny's face then fell. "Do you think she'll want to leave Miami when Amity Park is safe for her to live in?" he asked.

"Well Danny, I think that's up to her," Horatio replied. "She's made a lot of friends here over the past few months. Deciding which town to live in won't be easy for her."

"I guess I shouldn't push the issue," said Danny.

"She'll decide when she's ready," said Horatio.

* * *

**Isn't that sweet? I have to say, this is probably the longest chapter I've ever written for this story! **

**I'm glad this story is finished. Not my best ending but I think it's good enough.  
**

**In case you're wondering what Danielle was talking about when she and Danny visited Natalia...you'll have to watch the last season of CSI Miami to know whom she's talking about. I'm not gonna say what its all about so I won't spoil anything for you.  
**

**Good news! I now have an account on deviantart! It's the same as my username here on FF so finding me won't be that hard.  
**

**Thank you everyone who followed and reviewed this story! Your comments were most appreciated!  
**


End file.
